- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the then Minister for Climate Action during the stage 3 proceedings for the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill on 25 June 2024 that the Scottish Government "intend[s] to consider targets for separate waste streams and carbon-based metrics", and that this "approach is based on the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations”, what recommendations the minister was referring to, and where they were made.
Answer
Page 161 of the ‘Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland: 2022 Report to Parliament’ by the Climate Change Committee (Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland 2022 Report to Parliament (theccc.org.uk)) contains the following recommendation:
“Legislate the Circular Economy Bill and set targets to reduce waste and improve recycling rates beyond 2025, ensuring these are more ambitious than existing targets. Targets should be set on the basis of separate waste streams (rather than 'All waste') and where possible consider carbon-based metrics”
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it spent the £97.1 million of Barnett consequential funding that it received from the UK Government to fund cladding remediation work, broken down by allocation.
Answer
Under devolution, consequentials of this kind become part of the Scottish Government’s overall budget for that year. As part of the Scottish Budget process, it is for Scottish Ministers to propose funding levels for specific programmes in Scotland, and when the budget is required.
In the case of cladding remediation, we have said that we will spend whatever is necessary to address the problems created by unsafe cladding, that we will make provision for that at the appropriate time, and that we expect the cost of that in Scotland to be at least the quoted amount of consequentials – that is, £97.1 m.
We publish updated information on programme spend on a quarterly basis at https://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that patients with a terminal illness are able to access GP surgery appointments requested by their specialists without any undue delay or distress.
Answer
All Health Boards should have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure co-ordination of care for patients across primary, community and hospital health care services. This includes patients with a terminal illness.
To date the Scottish Government has provided over £342,000, of which, £125,000 was provided this financial year, in funding to the Royal College of General Practitioners “Primary Care Secondary Care Interface” project. The project is considering ways to improve this co-ordination and interface working arrangements. The College is working with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and Health Boards on this project.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter from the Scottish Music Industry Association, signed by around 170 music acts and performers, which states that the music industry faces "the worst crisis that Scotland's music and wider arts sector has ever faced" and that a "cultural catastrophe is in process".
Answer
I appreciate the concerns that have been raised by the culture sector. Funding for the culture sector has increased this financial year, as the first step to achieving the First Minister’s commitment to invest at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028-29.
I understand the Scottish Music Industry Association’s concerns and have restated the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to supporting the arts. I was also pleased that following a period of necessary due diligence the £3m funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund have now been released and Creative Scotland are due to reopen this fund on 8 October.
I have also agreed to meet with the Scottish Music Industry Association to further understand the concerns held by the sector and its musicians.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the reported £800,000 reduction to VisitScotland's advertising budget will have on tourism numbers.
Answer
The decision relates to uncommitted marketing spend, however, Visit Scotland will continue to maximise the impact of its £43.6 million budget through use of its own and partner channels, including relationships with travel intermediaries, to attract domestic and international visitors to Scotland.
The number of people visiting Scotland is subject to different variables, including the state of the global economy. Scottish Government will work closely with VisitScotland to track and report performance.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the results of its 2023 consultation, Enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes, will be released.
Answer
The responses to the consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes are currently being analysed, and a report on the feedback received will be published in due course.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 3 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) local authorities, (b) higher education institutions and (c) private providers in order to establish local housing market intelligence hubs.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had no engagement with local authorities, higher education institutions, and private providers in order to establish local housing market intelligence hubs. It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy and Development Plan to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA). HNDA Guidance encourages local authorities to establish a Housing Market Partnership (HMP) to oversee the development, production and sign-off of a HNDA. The structure and membership of a HMP is determined locally to reflect the circumstances and requirements of individual partnerships.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it has conducted in advance of the planned opening of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership’s safer drug consumption facility on 21 October.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what would be required for the frequency of service on the Milngavie rail line to return to quarter-hourly throughout the day, as was the case before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the planned closure of Grangemouth oil refinery will have on the Forties Pipeline System and associated jobs and businesses.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024