- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm a capital finance package for the proposed Scottish Event Campus (SEC) expansion, which secured Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) from Glasgow City Council in June 2021, and what its position is on whether its timeous construction is critical to maintaining the international competitiveness of the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).
Answer
We recognise the importance of the Scottish Events Campus as one of the world’s top conference and events venues, as recently exemplified in the successful hosting of COP26. It is clear that the SEC makes a vital contribution not just to Glasgow’s economy, but to Scotland’s economy as a whole.
As Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, I engaged with Peter Duthie, the CEO of the SEC, with regards to the SEC expansion plans and broader matters affecting the events sector. These discussions have necessarily been paused due to emerging budgetary pressures and reassessment of budget priorities as set out in the Resource Spending Review. We are therefore unable to commit to the provision of funding support via a capital finance package for the expansion of the conferencing centre at the current time.
However, we are keen to continue to engage with the SEC and the wider business conference and events sector on how the review of the National Event Strategy Scotland: The Perfect Stage, can enable us to build on its success, and to deliver on the priorities of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to secure further supplies of Imvanex and Jynneos in order to be able to offer a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine against monkeypox to those living in the Glasgow region who are considered to be at risk of exposure, currently understood to include gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, and the medical staff who treat them.
Answer
Scottish Government are working with the UK Health Security Agency to secure further allocations for Scotland from additional vaccine supplies arriving in the UK, to protect high risk groups against monkeypox. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be able to request vaccines from these to meet their service delivery requirements.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what expectations it has of local authorities regarding the timescales associated with connecting children seeking adoption with families who have applied for adoption.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10585 on 22 September 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: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how long the process for a family to adopt a child in Scotland should normally take.
Answer
There are no prescribed timescales within regulations in Scotland for the adoption process to be completed.
Where adoption is the right route for a child or young person, the Scottish Government want this to happen as swiftly as possible. However, we recognise that the process is complex and involves multi agency working to ensure the welfare and safeguarding of the child. No two cases will be the same and the circumstances of each child need to inform the approach taken, within the context of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how long each step of the adoption process should take for children and families seeking adoption through adoption services.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10585 on 22 September 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: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent ballot for industrial action by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland trade union.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2022
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that charities that normally qualify for water charge rebates, but were involved in dispersing grants in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, have had their turnover artificially inflated to above £300,000, meaning they no longer qualify, and whether it will undertake to provide an exemption in such cases.
Answer
The water and sewerage charges exemption scheme is open to charities which have an income of less than £300,000. Eligibility is assessed based on gross income information as obtained from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and there are no disregards in respect of capital grants or restricted income. This position was agreed in light of a public consultation and reflects the fact that in many cases restricted income/capital grants are not clearly set out in annual accounts.
In recognition that restricted income such as grants or asset disposals would elevate, temporarily, a charity’s income, the income threshold for eligibility was increased from £65,000 to £200,000 for full exemption and £300,000 for partial exemption. Setting a higher income threshold ensures that the administrative costs of the scheme are kept to a minimum as there is no need for individual assessments to be made in relation to the nature of the restricted income. Furthermore, as charities are required to submit annual applications, this means that if an organisation does not qualify in one financial year, it will not be prevented from applying in future years should it meet the criteria of the scheme.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that Scottish Canals has the financial support required to reduce the reported £50 million backlog of repair works to maintain the historic canal network.
Answer
Scottish Canals, as with all public bodies, is operating in an unprecedented challenging environment for public funds. Despite this, the Organisation has benefitted from significant increases in both its resource and capital Grant in Aid budget allocations in the last few years. Since 2019, the Scottish Government has increased the Organisation’s capital grant allocation by 87%.
In the last 2 years, and as a consequence of the significant increases in its capital budgets, Scottish Canals has managed to reduce its backlog of works by 20%. This has been achieved alongside significant Scottish Government support for unplanned events such as the Union Canal breach at Muiravonside in 2020. This highlights the importance of the Scottish Government’s support for Scottish Canals.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will permit Scottish Canals to retain its annual operating surplus in order to continue to sustainably fund long-term and multi-year regeneration projects, such as the Claypits Local Nature Reserve.
Answer
Like all Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Scottish Canals has to comply with the requirements of the HM Treasury Consolidated Budgeting Guidance Framework which does not allow for underspends to be carried over financial years.
Scottish Canals is allocated a Grant in Aid budget for the year based on expenditure forecasted by the Organisation and balanced by the income it expects to generate. Any operating surplus that the Organisation generates should be used to reduce the Grant in Aid requirement.
Scottish Canals has benefitted from significant increases in Grant in Aid awards in recent years. Since 2019, the Organisation’s capital grant from the Scottish Government has increased by 87% and it has received an annual uplift in resource funding. In addition, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish Canals benefitted from additional funding of £1.7m to meet a reduction in its revenues.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to expand lived and living experience representation on the National Drugs Mission Oversight Group, given that three of the 20 members are described as lived and living experience representatives.
Answer
The National Mission Oversight Group is supported by many areas of expertise including; academics, lived and living experience representatives, international expertise, clinicians and third sector organisations
Three members of the group are specifically appointed as lived and living experience representatives, but we should not presume that other members of the Oversight Group do not have their own lived and living experience alongside their professional expertise and experience they are bringing to the group.
The Group will link in to lived and living experience networks such as the National Collaborative to ensure that the perspective and experiences of living and lived experience are embedded in the work of the Group.
