- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle drug-driving, and how effective these measures have been.
Answer
In keeping with the Road Safety Framework to 2030 priorities and with particular reference to the In-Depth Fatalities Report, we are running a national campaign on Drink and Drug Driving.
The Drink and Drug Driving campaign will tackle drivers aged 18-35. As outlined in the Road Safety Framework there is a need to ensure drivers do not drive while impaired through alcohol or drugs. Drug driving limits and roadside drug testing were introduced in Scotland in October 2019. Since then, more than 19,000 tests have been carried out with almost half of those resulting in a positive test (49%). However, a relatively low awareness of roadside testing remains, and Road Safety Scotland will continue to address this through future campaign activity.
We are also working alongside Police Scotland who are undertaking a pilot project in Shetland. The pilot includes local police officers trained in the testing of drivers at the roadside who are suspected to be under the influence of drink and drugs. The officers have been fully trained in the administering of the drug wipes, previously road policing officers had been the only trained officers to administer the wipes. This pilot will be monitored and evaluated and we will be meeting Police Scotland in the New Year to discuss progress as well as identifying future road safety initiatives to tackle drug driving in Scotland.
Post campaign evaluation shows the 2023-24 Drug-Driving campaign was effective in increasing awareness of use of roadside drug wipes by police and prompting key actions, including talking to friends and family about roadside testing.
- Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport on 21 November 2024, how it plans to progress plans for a National Social Work Agency, and what timetable for parliamentary scrutiny it plans to propose.
Answer
Plans for a National Social Work Agency and Proposed Timetable
We remain committed to the establishment of a National Social Work Agency by the end of the parliamentary term, 2025–26 in order to address the issues affecting this important workforce. A final decision has yet to be taken on the form and structure of the agency, following which we can update Parliament.
Our partners and stakeholders, including COSLA, and the social work workforce are supportive of establishing a National Social Work Agency and are engaged in its development.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the new duties on employers under the
Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 regarding the
prevention of sexual harassment of staff, how ScotRail is meeting its duty to take
reasonable steps to prevent its employees from being subject to such
harassment, including from third parties; whether it has asked ScotRail to (a)
update its anti-harassment policies and (b) produce an updated risk assessment,
and what its position is on whether ScotRail’s reported plans to reduce ticket
office opening hours at 101 stations is compatible with the new duties.
Answer
This is a matter for ScotRail as the employer.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether its final energy strategy will address its involvement in the (a) Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance and (b) Under2 Coalition.
Answer
The judgements and issues in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan are informed and influenced by recent developments in UK Government energy policy and by court decisions.
This is a rapidly changing landscape and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.
The Scottish Government continues to engage with a range of international organisations and stakeholders, including the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement on energy policy. The Cabinet Secretary is the European Co-Chair of the Under2 Coalition, and as such is already heavily involved.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to train teachers in recognising any impact of endometriosis on students’ (a) attendance and (b) academic performance.
Answer
I recognise that endometriosis is a painful and long-term condition, which may result in young people being absent from school for a prolonged period. As acknowledged in our national guidance on attendance, ‘Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1,’ there are links between poor attendance and attainment. It is therefore important that education authorities provide appropriate support to meet the educational needs of children or young people where endometriosis is impacting on their attendance.
Teachers are not medical professionals and therefore cannot be expected to have a detailed knowledge of all medical conditions that might affect children and young people. Training requirements should instead be planned for and driven by the individual needs of children and young people in the schools in the area. Similarly, it would not be possible for our guidance to provide detailed information for every medical condition which might cause a healthcare need in schools. For this reason our guidance on ‘Supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools’ does not make reference to specific health conditions such as endometriosis. If a child and young person is diagnosed with a longer term condition or develops healthcare support needs, it is normally the role of parents/carers to notify the school that they require the school's input to support their child's needs. Our guidance recommends that if a young person were to be diagnosed with any health condition which might affect their schooling, they and their parent or carer should seek a meeting with the school at the earliest opportunity to discuss their potential additional support needs. This will enable appropriate information about their healthcare needs, including impacts associated medication to be shared and enable the consideration of an individualised healthcare plan.
Where endometriosis results in a young person being absent from school for a prolonged period, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 requires that education authorities make special arrangements for pupils to receive education elsewhere than at an educational establishment. Alternative arrangements for education will depend upon the young person’s individual circumstances; however it could be provided, for example, at home or in a hospital setting.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31821 by Shona Robison on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide the (a) estimated cost of supplying the information requested and (b) number of legal cases it would have to consider in order to provide an answer to the question, and what range of data it would consider reasonable in order to provide an answer to question S6W-31821.
Answer
a) The exact cost of obtaining the information has not been calculated but it is estimated to exceed the cost limit due to the number of cases and other matters that would require to be considered individually by officials.
b) Link to the published SG accounts on the SG website can be found here to show legal costs across multiple financial years. –
– Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31824 by
Shona Robison on 9 December 2024, for what reason it considered that there
would be a disproportionate cost in providing data for appointments prior to
2020, in light of such data being provided in the answer to question S6W-12529,
and whether it will set out the (a) cost of supplying the answer to question
S6W-12529 and (b) estimated cost of providing pre-2020 data for question
S6W-31824.
Answer
In accordance with the Public Appointments Team’s data retention policy, the retention period for documents supporting the public appointments process is five years after the appointment tenure in post has ended. Therefore we do not hold any information regarding public appointments which ended prior to December 2019.
We also do not hold any information regarding public appointments made prior to 2011.
To provide data for appointments made between 2011 and 2019 would include data from over 360 appointment rounds, some of which were for several appointees. Information for each appointment round would have to be searched individually for the information requested, which we estimate would take at least seven working days, therefore incurring a disproportionate cost.
We are unable to provide estimated costs of providing the information requested in questions S6W-12529 and S6W-31824 but would like to confirm that these costs would be disproportionate for the reason given above.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it carries out of the reasons for train delays and cancellations, and what that main problems are that lead to these.
Answer
The Scottish Government requires ScotRail and Network Rail in Scotland to co-operate in the management, monitoring and improvement of Scottish train performance. The Office for Rail and Road publishes performance data for Scotland on its website. Delays and cancellations to Scottish rail services can be caused by problems with infrastructure, rolling stock, availability of staff (including through industrial action) and delays introduced to the Scottish rail network by poor performance of cross-border rail services from England.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what further details it can provide regarding what plans it has in place to ensure the protection of women and girls in the event that the proposed reduction in staffed hours at ScotRail station ticket offices is accepted.
Answer
Once the plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having the ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve the feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which deters any potential anti-social behaviour.
Additional Travel Safe Teams will be on hand to support a welcoming rail environment and provide a better journey.
ScotRail has also invested £1.6 million- to triple the number of body-worn cameras and hired more staff for late-night trains in problem areas.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether it will commit to publishing its final energy strategy in the first quarter of 2025.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. 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