Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-06780

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much was budgeted for each road safety campaign in 2016-17.

Question reference: S5W-06950

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's proposals to make it an offence to shine lasers at transport operators, whether it will introduce similar legislation for Scotland.

Prosecutions in relation to laser pen attacks can be raised under the common law offence of culpable and reckless conduct. In respect of laser pens being shone at aircraft, prosecutions can be raised as a contravention of the statutory Air Navigation Order 2016. We have no plans to create new offences in respect of lasers being shone at aircraft or other forms of transport. As aviation safety is reserved to the UK Government, any legislative changes would apply to the whole of the UK.

Question reference: S5W-06779

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) the number, (b) the names and (c) details of individual road safety campaigns that were planned for 2016-17.

The Scottish Government is committed to achieving safer road travel in Scotland, which is why Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020, written in 2009, contains challenging casualty reduction targets and an ultimate vision where there are no fatalities on Scotland roads. Recently, the Framework underwent a mid-term review which identified speed, age and vulnerable road users as key priority focus areas.

For 2016-17, Road Safety Scotland - the Scottish Government's principle road safety delivery partner - developed three planned road safety campaigns around the focus areas in an effort to meet the Framework's outcomes:

Vulnerable road users - £365,000
Motorbikes - £50,000
Country roads - £250,000

In addition, the Scottish Government also spent £30,000 on a Drink Drive Festive campaign, which supported Police Scotland's enforcement campaign.

Question reference: S5W-06791

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many neighbourhood watch schemes there have been in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S5W-06790

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to neighbourhood watch schemes in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government has supported Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (NWS) since it was established in 2008. Over this period, the Scottish Government has provided funding of £652,152.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to offer reassurance to local communities and advice on keeping safe. It has also supported NWS in the establishment of Rural Watch Scotland and the development of the Neighbourhood ALERT system, which provides real time community messaging and shares alerts on potential criminal activities.

Question reference: S5O-00683

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of fly-tipping.

Question reference: S5W-06733

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the RNIB bus charter.

Question reference: S5W-06734

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that bus services are user-friendly for people who are blind or partially sighted.

In line with our Accessible Travel Framework, the Scottish Government is supportive of the provision of information in an accessible way to blind or partially sighted bus passengers. The installation and use of audio-visual display technology is a matter for each individual operator to consider and fund using their own commercial judgement. However, the RNIB Bus Charter sets out reasonable actions which will help blind people to access and use buses and I have recently written a joint letter with the RNIB and Guide Dogs Scotland to the Confederation of Passenger Transport encouraging their members to sign up to it.

Disability and vehicle construction legislation is reserved to the UK Government. An accessible information clause has been included in the UK Bus Services Bill, which will apply to Scotland. Scottish Ministers will be consulted on the relevant draft Regulations and we will engage fully so that the legislation enables delivery of clear accessible information allowing people to plan and take journeys on local bus services.

Question reference: S5W-06732

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many bus companies have signed up to the RNIB bus charter.

Question reference: S5W-06659

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that NHS Lothian has said that it cannot currently meet the 18-week waiting target for psychological therapy.

The Scottish Government remain determined to hit the target of 90% of people seen within 18 weeks from referral to treatment for Psychological Therapies. We will continue to work with Boards, including NHS Lothian to make sure that happens right across Scotland.

As part of the £54.1m package of support announced by the First Minister in January 2016, £4.8 million has been awarded to Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish a Mental Health Access Improvement Support Team. This team will provide support to Boards to improve access to psychological therapies for all ages, including for children and young people.

The Improvement Programme will be delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, with support from NHS Education for Scotland to enhance the supply and training of workforce (£24.6m SG funding). Following a series of commissioning visits, in June 2016 NES wrote to all Boards setting out an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development. A significant proportion of the funding from NES is for service posts, intended to support service delivery by providing training, coaching and supervision in evidence-based interventions.

This package of funding include £24.7m to be provided to NHS Boards to improve their capacity to see more people more quickly, with NHS Lothian receiving a funding awardee total of £3,620,703.