Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-27595

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been upheld in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6O-03541

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of hyperbaric treatment services on the west coast.

Question reference: S6W-27552

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Funding Council monitors the efficacy of funding awarded to universities from the University Innovation Fund.

The efficacy of the University Innovation Fund (UIF) has been monitored by the Scottish Funding Council through the submission of annual progress reports, managed through the SFC Outcome Agreement process. The SFC Knowledge Exchange metric return and HESA Higher Education and Business Interaction survey has also been used as indicators of performance against knowledge exchange activity metrics, with the latest data indicating that the UIF has enabled at least 24,000 interactions with Scottish businesses and helped generate KE&I income of over £755M. (SFC KE metric return 22-23.)

Question reference: S6W-27548

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Cowal and Kintyre, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

STPR2 (Recommendation 41) recommends that further study work to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with a Sound of Harris fixed link, a Sound of Barra fixed link and a fixed link between Mull and the Scottish mainland is undertaken.

There are currently no plans to revisit any of the fixed link options that did not make it to final consideration during the STPR2 appraisal process. The reason why a particular option did not progress can be found in Appendix G of the Final Technical Report .

Question reference: S6W-27551

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the universities that received funding from the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.

Funding allocations for individual universities for each academic year are managed through the SFC. Allocations are made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here: University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

University Innovation Fund for AYs 2016-17 to 2023-24

	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Institution	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
Aberdeen, University of	1,235,000	1,235,000	1,885,000	1,358,000	1,383,000	1,524,000	1,538,000	2,261,000
Abertay University	295,000	295,000	450,000	324,000	330,000	364,000	367,000	400,000
Dundee, University of	771,000	771,000	1,177,000	848,000	864,000	952,000	961,000	1,344,000
Edinburgh Napier University	484,000	484,000	738,000	532,000	542,000	597,000	603,000	775,000
Edinburgh, University of	1,397,000	1,397,000	2,132,000	1,536,000	1,564,000	1,724,000	1,740,000	2,582,000
Glasgow Caledonian University	362,000	362,000	552,000	398,000	405,000	446,000	450,000	533,000
Glasgow School of Art	293,000	293,000	447,000	322,000	328,000	362,000	365,000	397,000
Glasgow, University of	1,409,000	1,409,000	2,150,000	1,549,000	1,578,000	1,739,000	1,755,000	2,606,000
Heriot-Watt University	584,000	584,000	891,000	642,000	654,000	721,000	728,000	973,000
Highlands and Islands, University of the	610,000	610,000	931,000	671,000	683,000	753,000	760,000	1,024,000
Open University in Scotland	251,000	251,000	383,000	276,000	281,000	310,000	313,000	314,000
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh	350,000	350,000	534,000	385,000	392,000	432,000	436,000	509,000
Robert Gordon University	434,000	434,000	662,000	477,000	486,000	536,000	541,000	676,000
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	257,000	257,000	393,000	283,000	288,000	317,000	320,000	325,000
SRUC	1,042,000	1,042,000	1,591,000	1,146,000	1,167,000	1,286,000	1,298,000	1,879,000
St Andrews, University of	612,000	612,000	934,000	673,000	685,000	755,000	762,000	1,028,000
Stirling, University of	416,000	416,000	634,000	457,000	465,000	513,000	518,000	640,000
Strathclyde, University of	1,124,000	1,124,000	1,715,000	1,236,000	1,259,000	1,388,000	1,401,000	2,043,000
West of Scotland, University of the	314,000	314,000	479,000	345,000	351,000	387,000	491,000	538,000
Total	12,240,000	12,240,000	18,678,000	13,458,000	13,705,000	15,106,000	15,347,000	20,847,000
(3) The allocations for 2018-19 include an additional £5.2M arising from Barnett consequentials that became available after allocations were originally announced.

Question reference: S6W-27549

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.

The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, has invested over £120mil in the University Innovation Fund since 2016 to support universities to work collaboratively to exploit their research to improve Scotland’s economy. Funding allocations for universities for each academic year are managed through the Scottish Funding Council and made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here: University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

University Innovation Fund for AYs 2016-17 to 2023-24

	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Total	12,240,000	12,240,000	18,678,000	13,458,000	13,705,000	15,106,000	15,347,000	20,847,000

Question reference: S6W-27550

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the University Innovation Fund were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each year since 2016-17.

The University Innovation Fund is one of the Scottish Funding Council’s core grants designed to support research and knowledge exchange activity across all institutions and is allocated according to a formula developed in consultation with the sector. Therefore Scotland’s 19 universities have received funding each academic year since 2016-17 through the UIF. Individual funding allocations for universities for each academic year are managed through the Scottish Funding Council and made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here: University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

Question reference: S6W-27554

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Mull and the mainland, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

Investigation of potential fixed link connections (bridges, causeways and/or tunnels) between Mull and the Scottish mainland forms part of STPR2 recommendation 41. Details on why a fixed link to Mull is part of this recommendation can be accessed at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/52545/recommendation-41-potential-sound-of-harris-sound-of-barra-fixed-link-and-fixed-link-between-mull-and-scottish-mainland.pdf

The STPR2 recommendation notes, that further work is undertaken on business cases to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these options. These studies would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through additional fixed links by replacing existing ferry services currently delivered by CalMac Ferries Ltd as part of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract.

These studies would also analyse in further detail the potential long term savings associated with the public sector funding required to maintain the ferry services and would involve input from communities that may potentially be affected.

Question reference: S6W-27490

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Diabetes UK’s call for new national targets to aim for 100% of children and 70% of adults with type 1 diabetes to be using hybrid closed loop technology by 2030, as set out in its report, Diabetes Tech Can’t Wait.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.

Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.

I am delighted to confirm that this financial year, £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.

This investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-27488

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to provide NHS boards with any additional funding towards the roll-out of new diabetes technologies in 2024-25, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.

Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.

I am delighted to confirm that this financial year, £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.

This investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.

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 .

Chamber and committees