- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 2 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when community groups, which were previously funded by CashBack for Communities, will be informed if any cashback funding will be made available to local communities or youth groups between 2023 and 2026.
Answer
The CashBack for Communities fund is a unique programme that reinvests money recovered from the proceeds of crime to support young people across Scotland.
The 29 organisations that successfully applied for Phase 6 funding were notified about the award in March 2023. Four community groups that previously received indirect funding in Phase 5 were successful in applying for direct funding in Phase 6.
Other previously funded community and youth groups have been informed about the availability of continued funding through Phase 6. This information was circulated in March 2023 by the partners that previously supported groups in Phase 5.
Details of all the Phase 6 CashBack partners were announced on 13 March 2023 and are available on the CashBack for Communities website:
https://cashbackforcommunities.org/
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to fund traditional skills-based apprenticeships that lead to professional qualifications.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any research or risk assessment informed its recent decision to withdraw the extended face mask and face covering measures across health and social care settings.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a robust process in place for creating, updating and removing COVID-19 guidance.
In April 2023, the Scottish Government commissioned Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland to review the current evidence and provide an update on the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Scotland. This information supported Scottish Government to evaluate whether it was proportionate to maintain the face mask/ face covering guidance, to make changes to the guidance or to withdraw the guidance at this time. ARHAI’s review recognised that Scotland continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and recommended that the Scottish Government withdraw the extended face mask and face covering measures across health and social care settings.
This recommendation was supported by Scottish Government Professional Clinical Advisors in Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC).
The Scottish Government also has a Professional Advisory Group of experts from across the health and social care sectors who were asked to give their expert opinion on the recommendation to withdraw the guidance and were supportive of this change.
The Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, National Clinical Director and other Health and Social Care Directors were content with the advice based on the ARHAI Scotland review, the expert opinion of IPC and health and social care advisors, and consideration of the current pandemic context.
ARHAI Scotland, the Professional Advisory Group for health and social care, and clinical directors are all in agreement that it is appropriate to withdraw the extended use of face mask and face covering guidance. This withdrawal means reverting to pre-pandemic infection prevention and control guidance, which is current and long-standing, and outlines the appropriate personal protective equipment to wear in the instance of any respiratory infection.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding tackling human trafficking in Scotland, in light of reports that human rights organisations have claimed that the Illegal Migration Bill will increase the likelihood of human trafficking.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that the UK Government’s cruel and inhumane Illegal Migration Bill should be scrapped immediately. The Bill will cause significant harm to victims of human trafficking. It will facilitate even greater control by perpetrators as a consequence of its provisions which restrict access to vital support and assistance and will likely deter victims from reporting their situation for fear of removal.
The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture wrote to the UK Minister of State for Immigration on 9 March setting out our position and this was followed by a further letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice on 25 April.
The Scottish Parliament rejected the UK Bill during a debate on 25 April. We set out our intent to lodge a legislative consent memorandum on two clauses within the Bill which alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers. We will recommend that Parliament withhold legislative consent to these provisions. We continue to monitor the Bill closely as it is considered by the House of Lords.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16420 by Patrick Harvie on 27 April 2023, for what reason there is no accreditation for contractors carrying out masonry repairs in Scotland.
Answer
Accreditation of contractors is a reserved matter, therefore the industry regulations rest with UK Government.
The UK government has a number of regulations in place to ensure that building contractors are accredited and meet the required standards. These regulations are designed to protect the public and ensure that buildings are safe and of a good quality.
The main regulations governing the accreditation of building contractors are:
• The Building Regulations 2010
• The Construction Products Regulation 2011
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has examined the reported evidence linking diets high in ultra processed foods with a range of negative health outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Answer
The Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) remain committed to using the latest scientific consensus of established evidence to inform our view on ultra-processed foods.
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered ultra-processed foods at a meeting in June 2022. SACN is now carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health. I understand SACN aims to publish a position paper on processed foods and health this summer.
Scottish Government and FSS await the outcome of this evidence review.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking in response to the statement in the COVID-19 Recovery Committee report, Long COVID, that the committee “is concerned by the number of people who said they felt they could only get proper diagnosis and treatment by seeking private medical care which is not an option to those who cannot afford to do this”.
Answer
We recognise the significant impact that long COVID can have on the health and wellbeing of those most severely affected across Scotland and welcome the COVID-19 Recovery Committee's consideration of this very important issue.
We are carefully considering the report and its recommendations in full, and will provide a response to the Committee in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we are making available £3 million from our £10 million long COVID Support Fund over this financial year to support NHS boards to increase the capacity of existing services supporting those with the condition, develop these into more clearly defined local pathways and provide a more co-ordinated experience for those accessing support.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 18 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that students, who are in receipt of benefits, will receive a special support payment to ensure that they do not lose out due to being in receipt of, or entitled to, student support.
Answer
Work on the Special Support Payment has commenced and is in the initial stages of development and a timeline for introduction will be detailed in due course. We remain committed to introducing the Special Support Payment within the parliamentary term.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will use any forthcoming national good food plan to highlight the reported negative impact of the over-consumption of ultra processed foods on public health and the environment.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently preparing the first national Good Food Nation Plan, as required by the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.
The national Good Food Nation Plan will set out the main outcomes in relation to food-related issues that we wish to see achieved in Scotland; the indicators or other measures by which progress towards the outcomes can be assessed; and the policies we will pursue in order to secure those outcomes. The Plan must be prepared with regard to the scope for food-related issues to affect outcomes in relation to, among other things, health and physical and mental wellbeing, and the environment. It must also have regard to the principle that high quality, nutritious and culturally appropriate food has the ability to improve the health and physical and mental wellbeing of people, and to the role of a sustainable food system and supply chain in contributing to mitigation of climate change, halting and reversing of loss of biodiversity and improvement in animal welfare.
The national Good Food Nation Plan offers us an opportunity to take a fresh approach to food policy in Scotland, and to consider all aspects of the food system.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the taskforce established to explore what practical solutions can be delivered to help improve bus services across the country, in light of the reported continued reduction in routes by bus operators.
Answer
The Bus Taskforce was convened by the previous Minister for Transport to work on critical issues with bus stakeholders. It is reviewing and coordinating immediate activity to support patronage recovery, to address workforce retention and recruitment, and to ensure proactive communication and engagement with bus users as networks adapt post Covid. The work is expected to conclude in the coming months and a report of the Taskforce's work and recommendations will be published in Autumn 2023.
