- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with retailers about reducing the amount of plastic used to package food products.
Answer
Working with the other UK governments, the Scottish Government is introducing packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) from October 2025. Packaging EPR will see producers taking financial responsibility for the full net cost of responsible management of their packaging, including plastic packaging, at end-of-life. This will create a strong incentive for producers to reduce their use of packaging and drive more sustainable design choices.
As part of this process, the four governments meet regularly with industry representatives, including retailers, to discuss their perspectives on these proposals. A new packaging EPR Scheme Administrator Steering Group has been set up, with retailer representation, recognising industry’s significant role in delivery of the scheme; the first meeting of this group was on 2 February 2024.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health first aiders (a) have been trained in each of the last five years and (b) are currently being trained; how many people are currently employed to train mental health first aiders, and how much money it (i) has spent in each of the last five years and (ii) is currently spending on training mental health first aiders.
Answer
The following table shows the number of participants undertaking Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training over the last 5 years, including numbers to date in 2024, based on the latest available data, as well as the total number of MHFA trainers (active and inactive) since 2020 to date.
1 April –
31 March | Number of people who have participated in the SMHFA programme | Number of trainers (active and inactive)* | Number of active Trainers |
2019-2020 | 7906 | Data not available** | 176 |
2020-2021 | 443 | 290 | 167 |
2021-2022 | 828*** | 290 | 167 |
2022-2023 | 5133 | 324 | 201 (34 new trainers) |
2023-2024 | 4604**** | 324 | 201 |
TABLE NOTES :-
*total number of trainers who have completed the programme to become a trainer. Active trainers have completed the required number of training sessions in each year and have completed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. Inactive trainers might not have delivered the required training sessions or completed GDPR compliance
**work was undertaken during period to review all trainer accounts
***programme restarted course in November 2021 following a programme break due to COVID
**** up to January 2024
The following table shows the total spend on MHFA over the last 5 complete financial year.
This includes spend which is allocated by the Scottish Government to Public Health Scotland for this purpose and does not cover any training fees charged to participants by independent trainers to deliver the MHFA programme. Actual spend data is not available yet for the whole of financial year 2023-24, so an estimated figure is provided.
Financial Year | Amount |
2023-2024 | £43526 (estimated) |
2022-2023 | £42014 |
2021-2022 | £59740 |
2020-2021 | £28350 |
2019-2020 | £49000 |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) original estimated (i) cost and (ii) opening date was and (b) current estimated (A) cost and (B) opening date is for each National Treatment Centre.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24710 on 5 February 2024. 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 .
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 357 stations that are managed by ScotRail, as at 31 March 2023, have access to Changing Places toilet facilities, and, of these, how many have restricted hours of access to the facilities based on the hours that the station is staffed.
Answer
This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government which (a) companies and (b) non-governmental organisations were invited to the St Andrew’s Day reception that it hosted during COP28 in Dubai.
Answer
The following list of companies and organisations were invited to the St Andrew’s Day reception during COP28 in December 2023:
Abu Dhabi Aviation | CPI media | Islamic Finance Guru | Radisson |
AD Ports Group | DAHC | JM Foods | Retail Is Detail LLC of Alabbar Enterprises |
ADIO | D-CAT | Joulon | ReVentas |
ADNOC | DHA | Karpowership | Ritz Carlton DIFC |
ADQ | Dhabi Hold Co | Kent | Robertson Group |
Aforza | Doosan Babcock | KEZAD | Roslin Technologies |
AGR Petroleum Services | Drax | Kibsons | Safco |
Al Rostamani Tavel | Dubai Academic Health Authority | Kitopi | Scotmas |
AL TAYEB MEAT SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP LLC | Dubai Chamber | Krucial | Seafood Scotland |
Al Tayer Holidays | Dulsco LLC | Lactalis GCC | SEHA |
Al Yaseah | Edinburgh Science | Lactalis Group | Seven Media |
Al Yusr Industrial Contracting | Elevation Sustainable Solutions | Lactalis UAE | Shell |
Amity Fish | Emirates | LRQA | Siccar |
Aquatera Group | Energy Industries Council | LULU | Siemens Energy |
Arbikie | Equiom Group Middle East | MAF Hypermarkets LLc | Sirocco |
Areej International | Euro Mechanical | Masdar | SolarisKit |
Astro Agency | EY | Max Foods Inc | SOV |
Atlantis | Fawaz Alhokair Group | Mazrui International | Spinney |
Australian Embassy | FCDO | MEED | Sunamp Ltd |
Automech Engineering | finefarefood | Midgard Oilfield Services | SUNMEET GENERAL TRADING LLC |
AzurX | Fluitron | MMI | TAQA |
Baker Hughes | Fonterra | Mocean Energy | The Corporate Group |
Bee'ah | Foodsource International | Motive Offshore Group Ltd | Truebell |
Bidfood Middle East | FreshExpress | NAMA Development Enterprises | Tyde Digital |
Bidfood UAE | Gateway Group of Companies UAE | NKMS | UAE Space Agency |
Blake Evans & Co | Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute | Norco Group Ltd | Valeo Snackfoods Ltd |
BP | Green Bioactives | North Oil Company | VS |
Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited | Gulf Business Consulting | Nova Innovation | Waterfalls |
British Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi | HFI Consulting International | NPCC | Watson Farley & Williams |
Bureau Veritas | HSBC | OiLSERV | WetFish |
Carrefour | Hunter Food | Orbital Marine Power | Wishfoods |
Casinetto | Hydrogen Vehicle Systems Ltd | Park N Shop | Wood |
CBRE ME | IAS International Oil & Gas Consultants | PDF Beveage LLC | Xergy |
Chef Middle East LLC | IGS | PETRASCO Middle East LLC | Y International UK Ltd |
Choithram & Sons LLC | INVest NI | Proserv | Zumo Money |
Christof Globabl | IRBcreative | PWC | |
Core (A Zahid Group Company) | Isla Seafood | Quality Meat Scotland | |
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will remove ICU beds from University Hospital Ayr and relocate them to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, citing significant workforce gaps.
Answer
Patient safety is of paramount concern and the Health Board has been clear that the interim ICU plans, first announced in February 2023, are to ensure adequate consultant medical cover; thereby maintaining the safety and sustainability of local critical care services.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02720 by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2024 that “all homes and businesses in Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service”, how many properties in Orkney currently have access to superfast broadband, defined as access to download speeds between 30-300mbps.
Answer
Every home and business across Scotland, including on Orkney, should be able to access a superfast broadband connection – either through fixed line broadband, mobile broadband, fixed wireless access or using newer technologies such as Low Earth Orbit satellites.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23907 by Mairi McAllan on 9 January 2024, where “all available evidence from Scottish Government commissioned research and external sources” relating to transport demand management options will be published.
Answer
The research commissioned by Transport Scotland on equitable options for car demand management, referred to in the answer to PQ S6W-24666 on 6 February 2023, will be published in the coming months.
In addition, as outlined in the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km by 2030, published in January 2022, the Scottish Government intends to publish a demand management framework by 2025. This will set out our approach to transport demand management options, drawing on all available evidence from Scottish Government commissioned research and external sources, as noted in response to question S6W-23907.
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 .
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £7 million reduction to the “Support for bus services” budget line in its Budget 2024-25.
Answer
The Network Support Grant, currently paid at 14.4 p/km, has been fully funded to the level of forecast demand in 2024-25. This is lower than budgeted in 2023-24 as demand has not been as high as anticipated this financial year. 2023-24 funding was too high, as patronage failed to recover as quickly as anticipated and services were cut, this means that the 2024-25 figure is a more accurate assessment. The Network Support Grant cannot be viewed in isolation and is part of the package of support for bus services. With the launch of the young person's free bus scheme in January 2022, we are helping to embed sustainable travel behaviours and support bus patronage to grow.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported recall of 150,000 women who were wrongly excluded from cervical cancer screening since 1997.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2024
