- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with (a) NHS Lanarkshire, (b) NHS Forth Valley, (c) South Lanarkshire Council, (d) North Lanarkshire Council and (e) Falkirk Council in relation to increasing measles vaccination rates in children and young people.
Answer
This is a matter for Public Health Scotland (PHS) as our national health protection body. Given the serious nature of measles and the current risk of importation and onward transmission, the Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards through the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) on a range of measures to promote vaccination uptake.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make any financial assistance available to pig farmers to help them move away from the use of farrowing crates towards cage-free methods.
Answer
The Scottish Government will continue to work with the industry and stakeholders to find ways for producers to transition towards implementing improved animal welfare methods and practices.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work in implementing the recommendations of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee report, The role of local government and its cross-sectoral partners in financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed the Committee’s thorough and wide-ranging report and we are committed to working with local government to deliver our shared climate change goals.
Following the Committee’s Inquiry, COSLA and the Scottish Government is working collaboratively to develop a Climate Delivery Framework to agree shared approaches to delivering action on climate change. As recommended by the Committee, we have also established a Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS) jointly funded with local government, which will help build the capacity of local authorities to reduce area wide emissions. A single data platform, currently being procured, will enable consistency of approach and adoption of best practice methodologies across local authorities and their delivery partners. This will provide all 32 local authorities with data-informed evidence, insights and intelligence they need for continuous improvement of their climate action plans.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported increased number of unattended funerals.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information about the types or numbers of funeral services in Scotland and does not make an assessment of trends in funeral choices.
Unattended funerals are most often direct cremations where there is no funeral service at a crematorium. Sometimes these are arranged as a preference by the deceased or by their relatives who might arrange a separate wake or celebration of the deceased’s life.
According to the recent Sunlife Cost of Dying report published in January 2024, the cost of a basic funeral rose from £3,953 in 2022 to £4,141 in 2023, an increase of 4.7%. The report shows there has been an increase in direct cremations over the past five years with 3% of funerals described as a direct cremation in 2019, rising to 20% in 2023. Direct cremations are often seen as a more affordable option but according to the Sunlife report there are various other reasons for choosing this option; this is often requested by the deceased or chosen because it is simpler to organise.
Issues relating to pricing and consumer protection are reserved to the UK Government. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) publish an annual review of market outcomes in the UK funerals sector and the most recent is available at: Review of funerals sector - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . Officials continue to engage with the CMA as required in relation to their Funeral Markets Investigation and the upcoming regulations for inspection of the funeral industry and licensing of funeral directors being made under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider implementing any of the recommendations in the Climate Emergency Response Group report, Committing to delivery: Certainty and leadership for a just transition to a net zero, climate resilient future for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed the Climate Emergency Response Group’s (CERG) annual report, which set out their four key areas of proposed action.
We are already taking action to address many of the issues highlighted by CERG, including: undertaking a pilot this year to introduce a net zero assessment of Scottish Government policies; publishing the final route map to reduce car kilometres; and through our commitment of £1.8 billion of funding over this Parliament towards heat and energy efficiency measures.
The Scottish Government looks forward to continuing our engagement with the CERG on tackling the climate crisis.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it marked Clean Air Day on 15 June 2023.
Answer
Clean Air Day (CAD) is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the impacts of poor air quality on human health and the environment and the actions to address it. CAD 2023 saw a variety of events taking place across the country such as poster competitions for schools, presentations about air quality, health walks, fuel efficient driving, green travel surveys to vehicle idling campaigns, alongside activity on social media platforms.
The Scottish Government supported the delivery of CAD 2023 in Scotland through funding to Environmental Protection Scotland and Global Action Plan. SEPA and the Scottish Government also run a range of air quality activities throughout the year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service takes to ensure that any information that it receives from pathology service providers is accurate and reliable.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2024
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 20 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 1 January 2021 to date it has met with the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) to discuss homelessness.
Answer
I meet with a representative of ALACHO on a quarterly basis at Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) and at Housing to 2040 Strategic Board meetings. The dates of these meetings can be found here: Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and Housing to 2040: Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . I also met with an ALACHO representative on 20 December to discuss the draft Scottish Budget 2024-25 and with representatives of ALACHO and the Chartered Institute for Housing on 14 December to discuss their letter to me on pressures on the housing and homelessness system.
Following the deep dives agreed by HPSG, four task and finish groups were established from June 2022 onwards, which met regularly (between every four to eight weeks). Scottish Government officials were represented on these groups, one of which (the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group) was co-chaired by a representative of ALACHO.
A representative of ALACHO chairs the rapid rehousing transition plan (RRTP) sub-group, attended by Scottish Government officials and, since 2021, has met with the Scottish Government on other strategic homelessness related issues, such as the Domestic Abuse Implementation and Monitoring Group, the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone Group and the Short Term Housing Supply Group. Finally, Scottish Government officials have met with ALACHO regularly in 2023 (every two to three months) to hold discussions on topics including local connection, RRTP funding, the proposed new homelessness prevention duties and the homelessness statistical data review.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of local authorities and other public bodies currently being in the process of finalising their budgets, what action it is taking to ensure that these bodies (a) protect key local community and voluntary organisations providing frontline services in relation to the cost of living crisis and (b) work with local third sector organisations in order to (i) not make any reductions to budgets or services without assessing the potential impact of any such reductions on communities and (ii) consider alternative local solutions to any such reductions.
Answer
The vast majority of funding allocated to councils is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their communities. Similarly, we would expect public bodies to exhaust all options to make any required efficiencies before cutting any services.
The 2024-25 Scottish Budget is a budget built on our values. It seeks to protect people and sustain services through these tough times. All budget decisions are subject to robust assessment in line with the Fairer Scotland Duty Act of 2018, which requires Scottish Ministers, when making strategic decisions, to reduce the inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage. Our funding for the third Sector will continue to prioritise investment in key infrastructure organisations and programmes which in turn provide critical support to the wider sector.
The third sector needs clarity and stability to increase its resilience and capacity to deliver services. That is why we have committed to develop a Fairer Funding approach for the sector to create conditions for it to thrive as part of a mixed economy.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of Audit Scotland reportedly stating that the Scottish Government risks missing its target to phase out gas boilers in homes unless it significantly increases the scale and pace of activity.
Answer
We agree with Audit Scotland on the scale of the challenge to decarbonise heat in our buildings. That is why we are consulting just now on proposals to prohibit the use of polluting heating systems in Scotland’s homes and buildings by 2045. This, alongside our proposals for standards for social housing, the development of heat networks and the introduction of a New Build Heat Standard, will transform the way we heat and insulate our buildings.
We have also committed to allocate at least £1.8billion over this parliament to help kick-start growth in the market and support those least able to pay.
We worked with Audit Scotland as it developed the report, and we will take the recommendations into account as we move ahead with our decarbonisation plans and programme.
