- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been advised by the UK Government of any Barnett consequential funding regarding the announcement in the Spring Budget of a one-year fund made up of £40 million to make swimming pools more energy efficient in the long term and £23 million in grants to leisure centres with swimming pools that are facing immediate cost pressures, including in relation to energy bills.
Answer
The Scottish Government have been advised by HM Treasury that Barnett consequentials will be passed to the Scottish Government as a result of the £63m swimming pool support package announced by the UK Government.
As you will be aware any Barnett consequentials will be added to the Scottish block as a whole and Scottish Ministers will decided how best to allocate resources. As part of this process, consideration will be given to what support can be provided to the sport and leisure sector in Scotland.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it will receive the Young Patients Family Fund expenditure figures from NHS boards detailing expenditure on (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) other expenses.
Answer
We ask for this information as part of routine monitoring of implementation of the Young Patient’s Family Fund and anticipate having this detail available at the end of the financial year. NHS Boards reported spend in these categories for 2021-22 and we are committed to working with Boards to develop a robust reporting process.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it allocated from the Young Patients Family Fund to each NHS board in 2022-23, and what its proposed allocations are for 2023-24.
Answer
In 2022-23 the Scottish Government has provided £2,259,987 to NHS Boards as set out in the following table.
Health board | Allocated funding |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 51,173 |
NHS Borders | 3,396 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 23,671 |
NHS Fife | 62,140 |
NHS Forth Valley | 69,699 |
NHS Grampian | 134,755 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 1,064,440 |
NHS Highland | 42,975 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 80,820 |
NHS Lothian | 434,077 |
NHS Orkney | 23,672 |
NHS Shetland | 63,172 |
NHS Tayside | 205,997 |
NHS Western Isles | 0 |
The Young Patients Family Fund is a demand-led budget, and as with previous years, the Scottish Government will provide allocations to NHS Boards in 2023-24 based on amounts claimed, subject to relevant checks.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Young Patients Family Fund it has spent in 2022-23 to date.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16005 on 25 March 2023. 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: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to announce the establishment of a fund aimed at making leisure centres, including centres with swimming pools, more energy efficient.
Answer
The Scottish Government are fully aware that rising energy costs are a significant issue for leisure centres and swimming pools. We recognise the positive financial and environmental benefits to increasing the energy efficiency of leisure centres and swimming pools throughout Scotland.
Following the announcement by the UK Government of the financial package to support swimming pools in England, we are considering what support, including ensuring the longer term sustainability and energy efficiency of these facilities, can be provided to the sport and leisure sector in Scotland.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14311 by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023, whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of (a) Category 1 and (b) Category 2 potholes that were (i) reported and (ii) repaired, in each of the last five years.
Answer
Transport Scotland, through its Trunk Road Operating Companies and Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Repair of potholes on all other roads is the responsibility of the local authorities.
Category 1 potholes are defined within the term maintenance contract as those which present, or could present, an immediate hazard to trunk road users. They are typically detected during the twice weekly driven safety related inspections.
The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all Category 1 potholes and the term maintenance contract sets out strict timescales for their repair. Following identification of Category 1 pothole defects, the Operating Companies are required to make the defect safe by 6am the following morning, preferably by completing a permanent repair. Where this is not possible then a temporary repair is required within the same timescale with permanent repairs required 28 days.
Category 2 defects are defined as those which do not present an immediate hazard to road users and are typically identified during walked annual inspections. Category 2 defects that deteriorate slowly could be recorded repeatedly over successive years before they are prioritised for maintenance. If defects do worsen more rapidly, a Category 1 defect is recorded and the defect is repaired within the contractual timescales outlined above.
The following table shows the number of Category 1 and Category 2 potholes identified and repaired in each of the last five whole years.
| Number of Cat 1 Potholes Recorded | Number of Cat 1 Potholes Repaired | Number of Cat 2 Potholes Recorded | Number of Cat 2 Potholes Repaired |
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- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support Glasgow City Council's proposal to cover the M8 between junctions 17 and 19 with a "garden cap", in light of the project not receiving funding in the second round of UK Government Levelling Up funding, and whether it will investigate the potential for platform deck structures to be marketed for private investment to develop the air rights over the motorway cutting as an alternative means to deliver the aspiration to cover the M8 in this area of central Glasgow.
Answer
I am aware of Glasgow City Council’s unsuccessful bid for Levelling up Funding for their proposed M8 ‘garden cap’ project. However the Levelling Up Fund is a UK Government initiative which clearly encroaches on devolved areas of transport policy. The Scottish Government has had no input into the development of the fund nor any responsibility for award decisions. Therefore, all the final decisions are solely taken by the UK Government.
The Scottish Government recognises the important role the M8 plays in providing access to key markets, jobs and services in Scotland and beyond. However given that this proposal is about the wider public realm and land-use within the city it is more appropriate that this work is led by the City Council. Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, has a statutory duty as the Trunk Road Authority to ensure that any potential impacts on the trunk road network are appropriately assessed and any adverse impacts mitigated, where required.
Transport Scotland will continue to engage constructively with local authorities where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and or provided by Scottish Ministers and I trust that Local Authorities will likewise proactively seek the advice and guidance of my officials at Transport Scotland on such matters.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve diagnosis of coeliac disease.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions such as coeliac disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the person at the centre of their care.
We recognise that more needs to be done and we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve diagnosis for those with coeliac disease. Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.
Health Boards have developed plans to increase capacity, workforce and activity. Mobile Endoscopy Units are providing access to an additional six endoscopy rooms to help people get the diagnostic tests they need. Additional activity throughout the week, including weekends, will help reduce diagnostic waits.
By using the Gluten Free Food Service (GFFS), available in all community pharmacies in Scotland, patients are provided with gluten-free food prescriptions. There are also clinical benefits associated with the annual pharmacy health check that pharmacists are required to carry out under the GFFS for adult patients who have coeliac disease.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken on the financial impact of extending 20 mph speed limits.
Answer
The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary road assessments to identify the number of communities where a speed limit reduction is appropriate and the financial costs for implementation. This work is scheduled to conclude in Spring 2023 and will enable the multi-partner 20 mph Task Group to then scope the next steps, options for implementation and understand the financial impact of extending 20 mph speed limits in Scotland.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards achieving its
commitment to roll out its national strategy for expanding 20 mph zones, as
announced in its Programme for Government 2022-23.
Answer
A multi-stakeholder task group has been established to progress the most effective route for implementation of the strategy. As well as a subgroup of experts to investigate and a define place criteria for roads that are appropriate for 20 mph speed limits.
Recognising the need to identify the number of roads affected and the financial implications, the Scottish Government has supported local authorities with an additional £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary roads assessments. This work is scheduled to conclude in Spring 2023 and will enable the multi-partner 20 mph Task Group to then scope the next steps and options for implementation.
Communication plans are being developed, with research underway to shape a national campaign that will focus on promoting the benefits of lower speeds and encourage behaviour change pre and post implementation.
