- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what training is provided to agricultural officers regarding their inspection duties, and whether this includes modules on (a) trauma-informed interviews and (b) working with interpreters.
Answer
Scottish Government provide a wide range of training to Agricultural Officers to ensure officers have the suitable skills and knowledge to deliver their inspection duties. This training includes structured learning, job shadowing and the provision of detailed written guidance.
This training does not include modules on trauma-informed interviews and working with interpreters.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether its guidance on the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) issued to NHS boards in March 2018 remains valid, and what modifications to the guidance have been issued since that date.
Answer
Guidance on the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process was published on 29 March 2018. This guidance remains valid for all Health Boards in Scotland.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on restoring (a) primary and (b) secondary schools as a result of damage caused by deliberate fires in each year since 2004.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information because the statutory responsibility for managing and maintaining the school estate rests with local authorities.
However, through the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme, the Scottish Government will provide local authorities with substantial funding support to modernise their school estate, and also includes replacements for schools which were significantly damaged by deliberate fires. For example, we will provide funding support of £25.8m for a replacement Peebles High School in the Scottish Borders, and £40.2m for the new Greenfield Academy in Dundee which will replace Braeview Academy and Craigie High School.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been made available to the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations, and what the objectives associated with that funding were, for each of the last five financial years.
Answer
Please see the following table outlining the funding made available to the Association of Chief Officers or Scottish Voluntary Organisations and the objectives associated with that funding for each of the last five financial years.
Financial Year | Grant name/amount | Objectives/Outcomes of Grant |
20-21 | ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £164,773 | The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: - Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership
- Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership
- Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice
- Support the government and communities in responding to Covid-19, as required.
|
20-21 | Resilient Leadership Study £8,000 | - To support the study of “Resilient leadership in the third sector in Scotland”
- To expand intelligence gathering amongst third sector leadership to support this
- To deploy learning in support of leadership exchange work, the Scottish Leaders Forum and other priorities as agreed.
|
21-22 | ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £219,697 | The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: - Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership
- Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership
- Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice
- Support the government and communities in Covid-19 recovery and renewal and responding to the end of the EU Exit transition as required.
|
21-22 | Cyber Resilience – Voluntary Sector “Be Better Informed” Project £5,200 | - Increase access to, and use of, threat intelligence to inform understanding of risk
- Promote the use of NCSC’s Cyber Information Sharing Platform (CISP)
- Include information on cyber threat and risk in advice and guidance from third sector advisory and regulatory bodies
- Promote the range of cyber security standards and regulations available to support clearer choices for the Third sector based on their exposure to risk and their risk appetite.
|
22-23 | ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £219,697 | The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: - Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership
- Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership
- Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice
- Support the government and communities in Covid-19 recovery and renewal and responding to the end of the EU Exit transition as required.
|
23-24 | ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £228,485 | - SUPPORT, DEVELOP & INSPIRE voluntary sector leaders at all stages in their journey
- ADVANCE thinking, ideas and resilience for the future
- STRENGTHEN connections, organisations, governance, sustainability and partnerships.
|
23-24 | £44,000 | The expected outcomes of the Grant are: - Implementing the recommendations of ACOSVO EDI survey on Learning and development;
- Transition and succession planning; and
- Participating in Delivering Equally Safe at Work
The targets/milestones against which progress in achieving objectives/expected outcomes shall be monitored are: Monitoring of progress against outcomes and objectives is expected to be a joint and shared process. We will develop with the Grantee a proportionate approach to monitoring and reporting, via enabling relationships based on partnership, a focus on outcomes, and mutual learning, that takes forward our shared thinking, and can inform future policy. |
24-25 | ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £228,485 | Outcome 1. SUPPORT, DEVELOP & INSPIRE voluntary sector leaders at all stages in their journey Outcome 2. ADVANCE thinking, ideas and resilience for the future Outcome 3. STRENGTHEN connections, organisations, governance, sustainability and partnerships. |
24-25 | £44,000 | The expected outcomes of the Grant are: - Implementing the recommendations of ACOSVO EDI survey on Learning and development;
- Transition and succession planning; and
- Participating in Delivering Equally Safe at Work
The targets/milestones against which progress in achieving objectives/expected outcomes shall be monitored are: Monitoring of progress against outcomes and objectives is expected to be a joint and shared process. We will develop with the Grantee a proportionate approach to monitoring and reporting, via enabling relationships based on partnership, a focus on outcomes, and mutual learning, that takes forward our shared thinking, and can inform future policy. |
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the practical differences are between "the setting of fire to" heath or muir, and "the burning of" heath or muir, as set out in section 22 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.
Answer
The setting of fire could include the act of igniting the fire and the burning of could include managing and controlling the fire.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government who is required to undertake muirburn training in relation to the (a) setting of fire to heath or muir, (b) burning of heath or muir and (c) extinguishing of fire on heath or muir.
Answer
As set out in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, all persons intending to make muirburn are required to undertake muirburn training. This will include anyone involved in the setting of fire, burning of heath or muir and/or extinguishing the fire.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reports of burnout and low morale among police officers in Scotland.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. The Chief Constable stated to the Criminal Justice Committee that the wellbeing of police officers and staff is one of her main priorities. Police Scotland has made a £17 million investment in wellbeing, which includes their 24-7 employee assistance programme that will focus on providing support wherever and whenever it is needed, and enhanced occupational health services to support officers and staff wellbeing.
The Chief Constable has provided reassurance that Police Scotland has a healthy recruitment pipeline, and more recruits have been taken on this (financial) year than at any time since 2013.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals have accessed addiction recovery services through The Thistle drug consumption facility.
Answer
To date, there have been 27 referrals to secondary services including housing, addiction recovery and mental health services. In addition to these referrals, the facility continues to support individuals in accessing appropriate recovery pathways and re-engaging with services they had previously accessed but had since disengaged from.
As The Thistle’s reputation grows and trust is established, Glasgow HSCP anticipate increased engagement with addiction recovery services and will continue to monitor this progress and provide updates accordingly.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned or undertaken into the toxicity of manmade materials and chemicals used in the construction and insulation of housing in Scotland.
Answer
The regulation of manmade materials and chemicals that are present or can be used in the production of construction materials is complex and largely reserved to UK Government. The Construction Products Regulation lays down rules to ensure products perform to a designated standard and is being revised by UK Government. This will introduce a requirement for construction products to be safe, create a safety critical list of products, and strengthen existing market surveillance and enforcement powers.
Scottish Government provides funding to Construction innovation centre BE-ST1. A 2023 report2 commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland and BE-ST that looked at the availability, performance, manufacturing supply chains and market analysis of Natural Fibre and Circular Insulation options also considered adverse effects for people from available manmade insultation materials.
1https://www.be-st.build/
2 https://www.be-st.build/media/d4gdyucy/sustainable-insulation-products-in-the-scottish-construction-industry.pdf
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to raise awareness of gastrointestinal conditions and symptoms.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with gastrointestinal conditions and symptoms in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.
Information and guidance on gastrointestinal conditions and symptoms such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease including crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is already widely available to the public via the NHS Inform website: Scottish health information you can trust | NHS inform and we have no plans to commit to a campaign at this time.
