- 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: 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 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: 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.
- 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, 06 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to mitigate the dangers of falling masonry, in light of recent occurrences of high winds.
Answer
The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 gives powers to local authorities to take enforcement action where a building is defective or dangerous. Responsibility for repair in tenement properties lies with the building owners and the Tolerable Standard requires that all homes are structurally stable. Local authorities are required to have a strategy for ensuring that below standard houses are brought up to standard and have broad discretionary powers to assist homeowners with work needed to meet the standard.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment
to hold a public inquiry into the malicious prosecutions concerning Rangers FC.
Answer
The Scottish Government has committed to a process of a judge-led inquiry once all legal proceedings relating to the malicious prosecutions are at an end. The exact form of inquiry will be determined at the point once all legal proceedings are concluded. The Scottish Ministers will announce when an inquiry will be held and the Justice Directorate has been identified as the directorate to lead on providing advice to Ministers.
The former Lord Advocate, James Wolffe KC, advised Parliament on 9 February 2021 that the Crown is committed to supporting an inquiry.
Shelagh McCall KC has been instructed to independently consider reports of criminal conduct from a legal perspective in relation to the prosecutions connected to Rangers Football Club. This process is in place to ensure that any allegations of criminal conduct are considered fairly and objectively.
The civil litigation and the work of Shelagh McCall KC remains ongoing at this time, and it would be inappropriate to comment on specifics in respect of these cases. However, the Crown remain committed to supporting an inquiry once all legal proceedings have concluded.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that only accredited contractors carry out masonry repairs.
Answer
The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 gives powers to local authorities to take enforcement action where the building is defective or dangerous. When a local authority considers a building to be dangerous it has a duty to act and it is expected that it will respond immediately. This might include taking urgent action to carry out work, including demolition, as it considers necessary to reduce or remove the danger.
Where buildings are defective local authorities will consider what action is appropriate. The range of actions include serving a notice calling for work to be carried out to improve the quality of properties that are in disrepair, or doing the work in default of the owner complying with the notice.
There is no accreditation for contractors carrying out masonry repairs in Scotland. Each local authority will have its own methodology for selecting appropriate contractors to undertake the work required on a case by case basis.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report by NUS Scotland, which stated that more than a fifth of international students in Scotland have experienced homelessness during their studies.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent public protests over the closure of the Edinburgh Filmhouse, what action it can take to ensure that the Filmhouse remains a cultural resource for the city of Edinburgh.
Answer
Following the closure of the Edinburgh Filmhouse last year, the Scottish Government continues to engage with Creative Scotland and other stakeholders to explore options for cultural cinema programme activity in Edinburgh, as well as ways to support the recently announced 2023 edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, with the associated opportunities for employment and audiences those will bring.
The administration process for the Edinburgh Filmhouse is still ongoing, so it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on these proceedings.
