Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-23543

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the predicted extent of pollution of the Firth of Forth would be in the event that Grangemouth is affected by a major flood.

The extent of any potential pollution in the Grangemouth area would be dependent on the extent and depth of any flood event and any damage caused.

The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations are jointly regulated, by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and SEPA as the Competent Authority. COMAH aims to ensure that relevant businesses, including those at Grangemouth, take all necessary measures to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances and limit the consequences to people and the environment of any major accidents which do occur.

Any such incident would be assessed and managed under the terms of local emergency planning arrangements including Forth Ports ClearWater Forth Oil Spill Contingency Plan, and the Marine and Coastguard Agency’s National Contingency Plan – A Strategic Overview for Responses to Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations.

Question reference: S6W-23528

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with (a) public and (b) private sector partners to create a national inventory of historical and current sources of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The Scottish Government is working with the UK and Welsh Governments through initiatives like the Cross-government PFAS working group to better understand current and legacy PFAS issues, regulatory approaches and compliance. Under SEPA’s Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory, regulated businesses in Scotland have a duty to report annually their emissions of chemicals to air and water that include a number of PFAS. SEPA make this information publicly available on their website. Under the international Stockholm Convention, SEPA must report any stockpiles of material or products above 50kg containing certain PFAS.

Question reference: S6W-23902

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, and what actions it plans to take.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report from the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, and knows that there is work to be done to support improvement of audiology services across the country.

We accept all of the recommendations in principle, and will now establish a National Implementation Group to examine how best to implement the recommendations.

This Implementation Group will be formed with partners from the third sector, as well as the health service, which will allow us to ensure the voices of those with lived experience are front and centre as changes are made.

We will ensure that Parliament is kept updated with progress.

Question reference: S6W-23557

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how any Barnett consequential funding that it receives as a result of the UK Government’s policy of extending the 75% business rates relief for 2023-24 will be distributed.

The consequentials associated with the UK Government’s policy of extending the 75% business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure premises in England in 2023-24 were confirmed in the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022.

All Barnett consequentials received as a result of the Autumn Statement are considered as a whole ahead of the Scottish Budget each year and are a vital part of Scottish Government’s funding position.

The Scottish Budget 2023-24 which was published on 15 December 2022 set out the Scottish Government’s spending and tax plans for 2023-24. The Autumn Budget Revision 2023 to 2024 was published on 28 September 2023 outlining the changes to the Scottish Government’s spending plans contained in the Budget (Scotland) Act 2023.

Question reference: S6W-23564

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people (a) had to be hospitalised and (b) died as a result of paracetamol overdose in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

In response to (a):

Table 1 shows the number of people admitted to hospital as an inpatient or day case as a result of paracetamol poisoning, which includes overdose. Note that these figures include overdoses that were coded as accidental, intentional and of undetermined intent.

Table 1: Number of people admitted to hospital for paracetamol poisoning

Financial year	Number of admissions
2018-19	5,905
2019-20	6,307
2020-21	5,996
2021-22	6,060
2022-23	5,189

Source: Public Health Scotland

In response to (b):

National Records of Scotland publish an annual National Statistics report on Drug-related Deaths in Scotland, which was released on 22 August 2023. The publication can be found at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland/2022/additional-data

Within Table SUB2 of the additional tables published alongside the main report, there is a breakdown of drug poisoning deaths by year and substance, including specifically those drugs which were implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death. Table 2 provides an extract from this table, showing the number of drug poisoning deaths where paracetamol was reported to have been implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death for the most recent five years of published data.

Table 2. The number of drug poisoning deaths where paracetamol was reported to have been implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death

Year	Drug-poisoning deaths registered (paracetamol)
2018	49
2019	40
2020	28
2021	41
2022	47

Please note that more than one drug may be listed on the death certificate as being implicated in or potentially contributing to the cause of death so the figures above will include those where paracetamol was listed either as the sole substance or alongside other substances on the death certificate. Where paracetamol is listed alongside other substances implicated in the cause of death, it is not possible to determine whether paracetamol was the main substance resulting in the death. For the purpose of these statistics, drug poisoning deaths include all those where the underlying cause was listed as ‘Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use’ or ‘Poisoning by drugs, whether accidental, intentional, of unknown intent or as a result of assault’.

Question reference: S6W-23531

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding the utilisation of technologies for the removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water.

In line with the Public Water Supply (Scotland) Regulations 2014, Scottish Water is required to carry out risk assessments to assess the likelihood of the presence of the most widespread PFAS compounds in its drinking water supplies. Where risk is identified, controls must be determined. It is a matter for Scottish Water to decide what treatment technology is necessary, however, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator has provided guidance on the types of treatments that can be effective in removing PFAS from drinking water.

The DWQR is participating in a UK wide research project on the effectiveness of different treatment processes for the removal of PFAS that is led by Cranfield University; this research is due for completion by June 2024.

Question reference: S6W-23522

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken to date to implement the recommendations of the Report of the inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia, in light of it being more than two years since the report was published.

The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of ‘Scotland’s Islamophobia’ – the report into Islamophobia in Scotland by the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Tackling Islamophobia, and will continue to carefully consider the recommendations made.

The report shines a light on some serious issues faced by our Muslim communities in Scotland and we are committed to ensuring that Islamophobia is not tolerated. The Scottish Government is funding and working closely with organisations working to tackle racist and religious intolerance, as well as improve the lives of minority ethnic and religious communities in Scotland.

I have committed to attend a meeting with the CPG in early 2024 to discuss interventions to tackle Islamophobia in Scotland, including the recommendations within the CPG report ‘Scotland’s Islamophobia’.

Question reference: S6W-23532

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve and increase testing and monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment.

The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) essential work to deliver a comprehensive monitoring programme in order to understand Scotland’s environment and the risks from emerging contaminants of concern, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). SEPA collaborates closely with partners across the UK and engages in various research projects to work towards a common approach on the assessment and management of a wide range of chemicals.

SEPA has developed a new analytical technique to screen environmental water samples for a large number of chemicals, including PFAS. It is currently expanding the extent of this monitoring and the range of substances and analytical media included. SEPA is also developing another method specifically to monitor PFAS substances, which will be ready in 2024.

The Scottish Government is also funding several relevant research projects through its five-year Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture strategic research programme and through the Centre of Expertise on Waters (CREW). This work includes developing techniques to measure perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in salmon, food products (fish), and soils, and developing approaches for future monitoring programmes.

Question reference: S6W-23540

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with a representative of Falkirk Council to discuss the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-23480

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement of flat rate grants to households and businesses impacted by Storm Babet, how this package of support can be accessed and when this will be communicated to the public.

We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings and established the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce to co-ordinate its support for local recovery efforts.

The package of support Scottish Government is providing includes Flood Recovery Grants to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded; initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and an additional £100,000 for Angus Council’s homelessness prevention efforts to help those families who have lost everything to resettle and rebuild their lives.

Letters offering additional funding have been supplied to each Storm Babet local authority within the red warning area for rain. Residents and businesses impacted can claim grants of £1,500 for damage to their homes and property, businesses can claim £3,000, and should contact their Local Authority for advice.

Details on the Flood Recovery Grants were posted on social media and published on the Scottish Government website on 30 November 2023. The grants and information on how to apply were also publicised on Local Authority websites.

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