Chamber and committees

Scottish Government officials are not involved in the detail of the individual pilot projects, nor engagement with land managers. In both pilot projects the project team includes local delivery partners such as the Tweed Forum, who will be making introductions to land owners and land managers, not NatureScot.

We welcome NatureScot’s, Scottish Wildcat Action (SWA) – Final Summary Report 2023 and agree that the ultimate goal for wildcat conservation in Scotland must be to establish a long-term, viable population of wildcats that does not require further intervention to secure its viability.

The Scottish wildcat is one of our rarest mammals and the Scottish Government will continue working with SWA through its partnership with NatureScot to achieve the goal set out above. NatureScot has recently approved a licence application from the Saving Wildcats partnership project to release wildcats in the Cairngorms National Park later this year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17686 on 19 May 2023 which sets out the delivery timetable for Pension Age Disability Payment.

The Scottish Government continues to make progress in the development of Pension Age Disability Payment. Officials are currently drafting regulations to enable the delivery of Pension Age Disability Payment, whilst also engaging with stakeholders and those with lived experience of the current social security system to develop a benefit that delivers with dignity, fairness and respect.

The Scottish Government is also working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure a safe and secure transfer to Pension Age Disability Payment for individuals in Scotland who are currently in receipt of Attendance Allowance.

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

Grants and loans accessed through Home Energy Scotland offer a range of funding options to support households install energy efficiency and heating measures such as insulation or heat pumps. The removal of asbestos is not a measure eligible for grant or loan funding.

We recommend that householders seek quotes for energy efficiency improvements from an accredited installer registered with TrustMark. Accredited installers are expected to establish whether asbestos is or may be present before installing energy efficiency improvements (PAS2030:2019).

Installers must be accredited and deliver work to the PAS2030:2019 standard as part of the fuel poverty programmes funded by the Scottish Government. Fuel poor households may therefore receive help with part or all of the costs of asbestos removal where required through our Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) Scheme and Area Based Schemes (ABS).

The Scottish Government recognises the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health that it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed and advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that asbestos should remain in-situ providing it is in “Good” condition and even where damage is minor it should still be encapsulated rather than removed. The Scottish Government does not provide support to public authorities to remove asbestos from their buildings as it is their statutory duty under UK Government legislation to manage issues relating to asbestos affecting their estate.

Scottish Government officials have been assured by NHS Greater Glasgow and Cycle (NHS GGC) that they have the necessary controls, protocols and support in place to protect staff. We will continue to work closely with NHS GGC to monitor the safety and wellbeing of all their staff.

No-one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work and assaults on NHS staff are completely unacceptable. The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with those who attack emergency workers and we strongly encourage staff to report all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour through their local reporting systems. If it is a serious incident, then all efforts must be made to escalate to the Police as quickly as possible.

NHSScotland has joined the multi-agency Your Safety Matters (YSM) initiative, led by Police Scotland. YSM aims to minimise incidents of violence and aggression in workplaces, through campaigns, sharing resources and good practice.

The Scottish Government is considering the issues that the hospice sector raised at its meeting in March with the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the then Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, including immediate and longer-term funding issues.

No-one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work and assaults on NHS staff are completely unacceptable.

The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with those who attack emergency workers and we strongly encourage staff to report all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour through their local reporting systems. If it is a serious incident, then all efforts must be made to escalate to the Police as quickly as possible.

NHSScotland has joined the multi-agency Your Safety Matters (YSM) initiative, led by Police Scotland. YSM aims to minimise incidents of violence and aggression in workplaces, through campaigns, sharing resources and good practice.

This is an operational matter for NatureScot. I have asked their Chief Executive to write with the relevant information.

Scottish Government contractors use a range of methods to recruit participants for social and market research projects, which may include Facebook in specific instances. We do not hold this information as standard on a project basis.

Research on Chronic Pain, commissioned by The Scottish Government from The Lines Between in 2022, included participants recruited via Facebook. Checks were made on participant eligibility via a detailed recruitment screener, including question on impact of pain and treatment pathways.