- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what equality impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to the proposed ScotRail station ticket office closures and reduced opening times.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06852 on 11 March 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers will personally pay the Workplace Parking Levy for their ministerial cars.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides local authorities with a discretionary power to set up workplace parking licensing (WPL) schemes. It will be for local authorities to decide whether to implement a WPL scheme in their local area, and to make decisions on how their local scheme will operate.
If implemented by local authorities, the WPL charge will be levied on employers and it will be a matter for employers, including the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament to decide whether they pass the cost of schemes onto employees. However, no specific workplace parking licensing schemes have yet been proposed.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the median waiting time for a brain scan has been in each of the last five years in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board.
Answer
The numbers of confirmed strokes admitted during 2016 - 2021 showing median time (minutes) to brain imaging are shown in the following table:
| | Numbers of confirmed strokes | | Median time (minutes) to brain imaging |
NHS Board (of treatment) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
NHSScotland | 9 094 | 9 138 | 9 388 | 9 460 | 8 956 | 10 341 | | 153 | 133 | 130 | 123 | 108 | 118 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ayrshire & Arran | 831 | 843 | 819 | 860 | 810 | 907 | | 547 | 361 | 528 | 259 | 154 | 163 |
Borders | 212 | 182 | 182 | 248 | 237 | 265 | | 120 | 83 | 89 | 79 | 106 | 118 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 232 | 250 | 249 | 291 | 262 | 303 | | 240 | 201 | 82 | 83 | 82 | 71 |
Fife | 665 | 608 | 791 | 723 | 755 | 791 | | 137 | 124 | 130 | 126 | 100 | 118 |
Forth Valley | 507 | 507 | 509 | 494 | 556 | 580 | | 262 | 267 | 194 | 175 | 129 | 158 |
Grampian | 779 | 755 | 795 | 761 | 746 | 821 | | 76 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 62 |
Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 2 259 | 2 316 | 2 292 | 2 307 | 2 092 | 2 614 | | 141 | 137 | 137 | 129 | 114 | 129 |
Highland | 444 | 451 | 407 | 421 | 422 | 509 | | 138 | 98 | 104 | 86 | 79 | 80 |
Lanarkshire | 938 | 972 | 971 | 947 | 951 | 1 115 | | 207 | 148 | 126 | 125 | 119 | 142 |
Lothian | 1 424 | 1 443 | 1 442 | 1 409 | 1 112 | 1 418 | | 104 | 105 | 92 | 105 | 98 | 94 |
NHS National Waiting Times Centre | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | | 561 | | 26 | 160 | 12 343 | 825 |
Orkney | 34 | 33 | 35 | 39 | 46 | 44 | | 100 | 86 | 87 | 108 | 90 | 120 |
Shetland | 39 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 29 | 40 | | 130 | 130 | 114 | 109 | 76 | 100 |
Tayside | 700 | 703 | 824 | 885 | 900 | 875 | | 492 | 567 | 344 | 210 | 161 | 162 |
Western Isles | 29 | 42 | 37 | 39 | 32 | 49 | | 78 | 67 | 54 | 59 | 54 | 91 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Source: Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA); data collected using electronic system eSSCA. |
Date: 02-03-2022 |
1 Median times based on records with both dates and times of admission (or onset if in-hospital events) and brain imaging. |
2 The table excludes some in-hospital events where there was a query whether or not the patients woke with stroke symptoms. 3 NHS Waiting Times Centre has a very small number of Strokes and these are in patients that are post operative patients which effects the ability to perform the scan in a timely manner. 4 Please note 2021 data are provisional until published on 28-06-2022 |
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to address any rising costs associated with the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
Answer
The Scottish Government is fully committed to the Ayrshire Growth Deal and supports all the projects included within it. To that end, the £103 million commitment from the Scottish Government to the Ayrshire Growth Deal is secure.
We recognise that construction costs have increased globally as a result of international market forces primarily related to the global pandemic, over which government has very little control. This is an issue which is not unique to Ayrshire but felt across Scotland and internationally.
As the Deal is a partnership between Scottish Government, UK Government, and Local Authorities, we are working collectively to explore regional responses to these global challenges, and will continue to support regional partners as they develop their preferred solutions.
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring access to day services provision for adults who have learning disabilities as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
Answer
The Scottish Government works in partnership with the Care Inspectorate, which maintains information on the operating status of social care services including day services. Decisions regarding access to day services are made at a local level by the relevant Health and Social Care Partnership, in line with Covid-19 Guidance issued by the Scottish Government. Services should undertake a risk assessment prior to re-opening, involving the Local Authority, Health Protection Support Teams and the Care Inspectorate. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with HSCPs and Local Authorities and encourages them to open services in line with Covid-19 Guidance where possible.
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been delivered to the providers of day services for individuals who have learning disabilities regarding re-opening safely as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
Answer
Covid-19 guidance regarding the provision of building-based day services, which includes services specifically for adults with learning disabilities, was published on 16 November 2020 and has been regularly updated. I wrote to the health and social care sector on 7 June 2021 encouraging the re-opening of day services. Subsequently a letter was issued in December 2021 by the Deputy Chief Medical and Nursing Officers to the care at home, building-based day services and supported housing sector highlighting measures that should be taken to minimise the risk of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. Letters have since been sent to inform staff on policies related to self-isolation and meeting with other households.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm if massage and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services are included in the definition of independent commercial wellness services, for the purposes of determining eligibility criteria for close contact business support grants.
Answer
Businesses offering only massage and complementary and alternative medicine services were not within the scope of the Close Contact Services Fund. The Close Contact Fund was targeted at businesses impacted by the necessary public health restrictions introduced to reduce transmission of the Omicron variant. The eligibility criteria for the Close Contact Services fund, which has now closed to applications, is available on the Scottish Government website: Close Contact Services Fund (closed) - Coronavirus (COVID-19): funding for businesses affected by Omicron control measures - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04853 by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2021, for what reason it did not refer 12 of the 19 unpaid Fixed Penalty Notices to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for consideration of prosecution, and whether the 12 unpaid Fixed Penalty Notices referred to remain valid and unpaid.
Answer
The breakdown for 12 of the 19 unpaid Fixed Penalty Notices is as follows:
Number of Fixed Penalty Notices | Reasons for non-referral to COPFS |
4 | Not referred further because the accused was non-domiciled in Scotland and their names and addresses could not be corroborated. An example of this would be an infringement detected by our aircraft and committed by the master of a non-UK vessel which does not land in to a Scottish port, and where we were not able to intercept with our patrol vessels. |
3 | Withdrawn as further evidence emerged to provide mitigation. |
2 | Not referred due to procedural errors during investigations. |
2 | Subsequently sent to owners on non-payment of FPN by the master. One of these has been paid; one remains live and is currently outstanding. |
1 | Payment period was extended and remains live. |
12 | TOTAL |
This is in the context of a total of 112 fixed penalty notices offered during the period.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its processes and relationship with Energy Saving Trust in light of the views included in the Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan Pilot: Feedback survey assessing the impacts of the pilot on loan holders: analysis of responses that there was (a) room for improvement in timescales associated with the Equity Loan, (b) frustration with the Scottish Government’s externally contracted lawyers, involving poor communication and lengthy waits for action, (c) an excessive degree of complexity in relation to legal processes and (d) lags in day-to-day communication, with this accumulating to create a longer overall delay.
Answer
The Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan Pilot is now closed to new applicants. The Call for Evidence and Homeowner Feedback Survey conducted last year have ensured that we have captured both the positive and negative impacts of this pilot, as well as gathering potential actions that can be taken to modify and enhance the process to ensure optimal and sustainable outcomes in all aspects of delivery, should the decision be taken to proceed with progressing the pilot to a national scheme in the future.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 24 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of wrasse have been used by Scottish fish farms to tackle sea lice issues, in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold all the data required to determine the tonnage of wrasse used by Scottish fish farms in the past 5 years.
Wrasse used in Scottish aquaculture are sourced from hatcheries or from the wild.
Information on the amount of hatchery-reared wrasse in Scotland is available from the Finfish Production Surveys . An extract is shown in the following table.
2017 | 3 tonnes (wrasses) |
2018 | 6 tonnes (wrasse) |
2019 | 4 tonnes (wrasse) |
2020 | 19 tonnes (wrasse and lumpfish) |
Finfish Production Survey 2020
Information on wild wrasse landings into the UK and Scotland is available from the UK Government. An extract is shown in the following table.
| | tonnes landed in UK | tonnes landed in Scotland |
2017 | 53 | 39 |
2018 | 73 | 49 |
2019 | 105 | 92 |
2020 | 79 | 70 |
UK Government Sea Fisheries Annual Statistics 2020
Specific data on what proportion of the catch was used in Scottish aquaculture is not available.