- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that any food delivery drivers participating in the Deposit Return Scheme’s online takeback service only return recyclable items ordered on the relevant delivery platform and are not asked to return containers from other sources, such as supermarkets.
Answer
The DRS Regulations allow return points to refuse returns where the number of containers is disproportionately greater than the number of containers that retailer would sell in an average single transaction. This will allow food delivery drivers to refuse such requests from customers.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost for agency nurses has been in the current financial year to date, and what it estimates the cost will be for the whole of the current financial year.
Answer
The spend on agency nursing and midwifery staff is published on an annual basis. The cost for agency nurse for the year ending 31 March 2022 is £88.9 million. Spend on agency nursing and midwifery staff is less than 2% of the total staff spend. The cost for this current financial year to date and the estimated cost for the whole of current financial year is not centrally available.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the impact of the reported continued closure of community hospitals in Dumfries and Galloway on bed and service pressures at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
Answer
I have raised this issue with Julie White, Chief Officer in the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, who has advised that following the temporary closure of the in-patient facilities a total of 52 staff were re-deployed.
The deployed community staff are currently supporting:
- 102 packages of care (535.5 hrs) which equates to circa 120 individuals to support care at home sector
- The opening of 18 beds in Mountainhall Treatment Centre as an intermediate care facility as a step down from Acute Care.
- The Marie Curie and district nursing 24/7 services have resulted in reducing the need for cottage hospital beds as the partnership are able to support caring for more people in their homes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-01451 by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 October 2022, how it plans to support those with complex disabilities whose energy costs, including for the operation of life-support equipment, are not fully reimbursed.
Answer
The Scottish Government will continue to work with health boards to ensure, as far as possible, that support for energy costs is available to those who require it.
Some patients already receive support for costs associated with home haemodialysis and the use of oxygen equipment. We have now written to all NHS territorial Boards to understand what support with fuel costs is available to patients using life-saving equipment.
We have already pledged almost £3 billion in this financial year towards helping families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes the provision of services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK to help reduce every day costs and increase incomes.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that a GP is only visiting the Leadhills Surgery once monthly, and what its position is on whether such a GP schedule meets the policy aims regarding universal access to healthcare.
Answer
The Scottish Government understands that there is normally a GP or practice nurse routinely present at Leadhills Surgery every week. There has recently been reduced presence due to annual leave but patients were able to see a doctor in the main surgery in Moffat if necessary.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm whether WhatsApp messaging by the health secretary and his ministers are covered by Freedom of Information legislation and the processes that are in place to archive these to prevent them being inadvertently lost or otherwise deleted.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment is made of the financial health of businesses and the viability of projects prior to the award of a grant of public funds.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported delays to the development of the Swallow Roundabout in Dundee.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
- Asked by: Jenni Minto, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its latest assessment is of the potential impacts of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 and the Subsidy Control Act 2022 on future agricultural support schemes in areas such as Argyll and Bute.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
- Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to flooding in Scotland, what engagement it has had with the UK Government to mitigate the Great Risk Transfer, as described in a recent David Hume Institute report.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022