Chamber and committees

Within our pilot model, applicants are required to obtain up to three quotes to participate in the Single Building Assessment programme.

The Scottish Government remains committed to an infrastructure solution to address the A83 Rest and Be Thankful landslip risks.

Work continues on the design of the long term options along with data gathering. The Government recently awarded a £1.8 million ground investigation works contract to best inform the design process and are working towards announcing a preferred route for a long term solution in 2023.

At the same time work is also progressing on the medium term resilient route and with formal proposals scheduled for late 2022.

In terms of short term measures since August 2020, Engineers have installed various landslide mitigation measures including drainage improvements, debris fences, a catch pit and material barriers. The mitigation has been augmented by the construction of a 175m long, 6m high debris bund, which further protects the Old Military Road. As a result of the major landslides in August and September 2020, and to mitigate a similar event from recurring, a further catch pit is being formed to be completed in summer 2022.

The catch pits and fences are designed to ‘capture’ debris material from a landslip and prevent it from reaching the road. To reduce disruption while keeping all road users and roadworkers safe, temporary traffic light system has replaced the convoy operations on the A83 and now remain in operation. A convoy system is only used, where ground readings or heavy rain forecasts would determine such requirement.

The protection afforded by these measures has meant that the A83 and the Old Military Road local diversion have been able to remain in operation for all but eight occasions during 2021 and 2022 to date, meaning traffic did not have to use the longer diversion via Inveraray and Crianlarich.

As set out in the STAG Managers Guide , an appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is required whenever Scottish Government funding, support or approval is needed to change the transport system. It may also offer a suitable framework for other funders.

STAG is applicable to all transport interventions. Option generation as part of STAG should be unconstrained and should fully reflect the range of multi-modal options available. Typically, the STAG process is not used for developing and comparing alternative designs for the same mode-specific option, for example alternative corridors for a new road project, however the principles for appraisal and evaluation are similar and the basis of determining socio-economic impacts derive from HM Treasury Green Book.

A transport appraisal in accordance with STAG aligns with the Strategic Business Case (SBC) stage, the initial stage of business case development in line with Transport Scotland’s Guidance on the development of Business Cases , where a decision is taken to progress any option to the next stage.

Certain transport options which emerge from the STAG process may then require further consideration using mode-specific guidance at the next stages of business case development, for example:

• Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE) – for rail projects; and
• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) – for roads schemes.

STAG is not usually adopted when considering maintenance issues of an existing asset which will not significantly change or affect the operation of the transport system.

Using satellite data and computer modelling, Forest Research have recently issued a revised estimate of around 8,000 hectares of forests impacted by the winter storms. This equates to around 16 million trees that have been blown over or otherwise damaged.

After Storm Arwen at the end of November, Scottish Forestry and Confor brought together the industry to take a strategic and collective view and co-ordinate the recovery of the fallen wood so that it can get to market in a safe and timely manner. Many landowners are still clearing up and this will continue for months to come, and will continue to be supported in that work by the Scottish Government and its agencies.

N95 face masks are not used in the UK. The Scottish Government has considered the use of Respiratory Protective Equipment (FFP3) for those on the Highest risk list in community settings, including those who are immunosuppressed and there isn’t sufficient evidence to confirm the benefits as well as possible disadvantages. Care is needed to ensure that people don’t use wrongly or misunderstand the protection they provide in different settings.

Decisions about the rates for reimbursement of travel costs for family members who wish to visit The State Hospital are for The State Hospitals Board for Scotland. The current policy was implemented in 2021 and is due to be reviewed in 2024, however it can be refreshed prior to that.

The ‘Supporting Visitor Travel Policy and Protocol’ includes policy on the partial reimbursement of overnight visit costs.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08101 on 11 May 2022. 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

We are working with the sector to develop an updated and refreshed Action Plan under the auspices of our existing Culture Strategy, setting out the workstreams we are taking forward to support recovery and renewal. In doing so, we are currently considering the recommendations put forward by the National Partnership for Culture and the Creative Industries Leadership Group, which we received in spring 2022, and which relate directly to the recovery and renewal agenda. Our response to the National Partnership for Culture’s recommendations will be published shortly. Along with our ongoing sector engagement work, this will feed into our Culture Strategy Action Plan refresh, which we expect to publish in the summer.

All NHS Boards in Scotland, have a named Motor Neuron Disease (MND) clinical nurse specialist, either employed directly by the Board or provided by a neighbouring Board through Service Level Agreements. NHS Dumfries and Galloway is in the process of recruiting to their vacant post, with specialist nurse resource being provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in the interim.

The information for which NHS Board areas have a MND clinical lead is not held centrally, however all Scottish Health Boards have a named Consultant Neurologist who diagnoses and undertakes clinical oversight of patients with neurological conditions including MND.

The total amount of publicly available electric vehicle charge points registered on the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network are as follows -

31 December 2019 = 1226

24 April 2022 (latest update) = 2244