- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to encourage local small businesses to set up on the high street.
Answer
The National Strategy for Economic Transformation sets out our vision to make Scotland a world-class entrepreneurial nation that encourages, promotes and celebrates entrepreneurial activity in every sector of our economy. The strategy’s programme for action details how we will make Scotland one of the best countries to start and grow a business.
We will shortly publish a refreshed Town centre Action plan and City Centre Recovery Taskforce report to support action to revitalise town and city centres respectively, and we have provided £80 million Covid Economic Recovery funding to local authorities to consider the needs of local businesses, communities and households and to target support to maximise economic recovery in their areas.
In August we announced the Scotland Loves Local Programme. The aim is to encourage people to support their local businesses and communities, to build wealth in local communities, revitalising town, city and neighbourhood centres and increasing footfall.
We have provided over £1.85 million additional support for Business Improvement Districts since the start of the pandemic, with a further £500,000 for 2021-22.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to plan for and develop forensic community mental health teams.
Answer
The Independent Review into the delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services in Scotland, published at the end of February 2021, made 67 recommendations for improvements to the delivery of forensic mental health services, including several on community forensic mental health.
The Scottish Government supports the recommendations of the review, agrees that community provision is a crucial component of the forensic mental health system and that forensic community mental health teams are key to supporting mental wellbeing in the community. Recommendations 18 and 19 of the Review recommend that work be undertaken to define the service remit of community forensic mental health teams and to ensure they are appropriately resourced to meet demand. The Forensic Mental Health Services Managed Care Network is gathering information on current provision to establish a baseline to take this work forward.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether statutory sick pay is sufficient support for people who are required to self-isolate due to COVID-19, and who do not qualify for the Self-isolation Support Grant and who care for one or more dependants, and what the basis is for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the Real Living Wage. As statutory sick pay is reserved to Westminster the Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government to improve on the existing arrangements.
The income eligibility threshold for the Self-Isolation Grant are inclusive of our commitment to the Real Living Wage and are one of the most generous of the four home nation schemes. This ensures those low income workers and their families are supported when being asked to isolation as a result of COVID-19.
Those workers who are not eligible for the Self-Isolation Support Grant may be eligible for an emergency grant from their local authority. Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grants are available to all people regardless of their current benefit eligibility. They are specifically designed to provide a safety net when an emergency situation occurs and there is no other way to cover costs.
In addition, support can be provided via the Local Self-Isolation Support Service which is a proactive outbound call service operated by local authorities. The service calls people who are self-isolating, and who are happy to pass on their details. This service helps with support to access food, medication, and other essentials, whilst also signposting to further advice services. Help can be provided by contacting The National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000 which anyone can contact, and operates between 09.00 to 17.00 every weekday.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the financial support needs of families with young people where the primary earner is required to self-isolate due to COVID-19 and does not qualify for the Self-isolation Support Grant.
Answer
The Self-Isolation Support Grant is focussed on supporting those low income workers who are most likely to face hardship. Since it was launched, it has been extended to better reach those it is intended to support. This includes parents or carers of children who are required to self-isolate and people with caring responsibilities for someone over 16 who needs to isolate.
Most people qualify for the Grant because they earn less than 25% above the Universal Credit assessment or earn less than the Real Living Wage. We have protected those on lower incomes by continuing to include the £20 Universal Credit uplift within the calculation of low income despite the payments being removed by the UK Government.
Those workers who are not eligible for the Self-Isolation Support Grant may be eligible for an emergency grant from their local authority. Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grants are available to all people regardless of their current benefit eligibility. They are specifically designed to provide a safety net when an emergency situation occurs and there is no other way to cover costs.
In addition, support can be provided via the Local Self-Isolation Support Service which is a proactive outbound call service operated by local authorities. The service calls people who are self-isolating, and who are happy to pass on their details. This service helps with support to access food, medication, and other essentials, whilst also signposting to further advice services. Help can be provided by contacting The National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000 which anyone can contact, and operates between 09.00 to 17.00 every weekday.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06524 by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether it will set out in detail what definition of “renewable energy” was used by its minister; what the generation source is of the energy that has had a positive impact on reliability, and whether it will publish any data it has that shows (a) an increasing "reliability of supply", as opposed to an increasing amount of energy supplied, and (b) a correlation and direct "impact" of the greater provision of renewable energy, as defined, on the reliability of supply, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06524 on 25 February 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: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed its current (a) tax, (b) funding and (c) development policies and programmes in order to ensure that wellbeing, economy, climate outcomes, fairness and equality are at their heart.
Answer
The Scottish Government keeps all its policies and programmes under review to support delivery of the outcomes in the National Performance Framework.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of calls from Audit Scotland to establish a clear plan to increase transparency around spending on drug and alcohol services.
Answer
I welcome Audit Scotland’s review into drug and alcohol services and their recommendations. We agree that more can be done to improve the accessibility and transparency of funding and how it is used.
Currently information on funding allocation is available through various publications including published budgets and I also report to Parliament regularly outlining our progress and funding decisions. We have also recently agreed on eight recommendations with COSLA to implement the Partnership Delivery Framework which underpins the governance of Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, this includes a recommendation requiring Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Finance Officers to be represented at the ADP and provide assurance regarding funding for alcohol and drug services including clear financial reporting. In addition, Public Health Scotland have been tasked with introducing new monitoring to track both the number of and investment in residential rehab placements by ADPs.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 16 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost Historic Environment Scotland to erect and maintain scaffolding at the Dun Carloway Broch site since July 2019.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally, but instead concerns day-to-day operational matters best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland. Please be advised I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write to the member with the answer to his question.
Further to this enquiry, I understand that Historic Environment Scotland have offered Donald Cameron MSP a site visit to Dun Carloway Broch with Historic Environment Scotland experts, to learn first-hand about the type of issues that the property is facing, and I look forward to learning the results of this visit.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding is being provided to restore and enhance rural health services.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done by sportscotland and Creative Scotland to provide opportunities for children and young people.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
