Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-10269

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which there is a risk of transmitting Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease through a blood donation from an individual who received a blood transfusion after 1980.

In 2004, the UK Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT) advised that people who have received a blood transfusion since 1980 should no longer be allowed to donate blood in order to reduce the risks of transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) via a blood transfusion. The then Scottish Executive accepted those recommendations.

The Scottish Government now takes its advice on blood safety from the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), which has replaced MSBT as the expert Committee advising Ministers on these matters. This matter is therefore for SaBTO to advise on and they have not suggested that this policy should change. In 2019, SaBTO advised (in its Paediatric Components Working Group report) that certain measures originally implemented to reduce risks of transmission of vCJD were no longer required; however, it advised that all other vCJD risk reduction measures should remain in place.

Question reference: S6W-10276

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Scotland Loves Local Fund has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date, on the Scotland Loves Local gift card scheme.

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Scotland Loves Local Fund has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date, on the Scotland Loves Local gift card scheme.In 2021-22, more than £2m of funding was allocated to the Scotland Loves Local programme including £1.5m to the Scotland Loves Local fund. The fund was available for a range of initiatives including local support for the Scotland Loves Local gift card scheme. A full list of grants awarded from the Scotland Loves Local Fund, including details of what that funding has been used for, is available on the Scotland Loves Local website, Media - SLL Fund 2021 (lovelocal.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-10326

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider a ban on the sale of vaping products that mimic the smell and taste of confectionery, in light of a reported surge in children and young people using such products.

The Scottish Government has a precautionary approach to vaping products. Vapes and other nicotine products are part of a range of cessation tools available to existing smokers to help stop tobacco use. They should not be used by non-smokers, in particular by children and young people. They should not been used or promoted as a lifestyle accessory.

Our recent vaping consultation, which closed at the end of April, sought views on tightening rules on advertising and promoting these products. The results of this consultation will be published soon and will inform our Tobacco Action Plan refresh.

We will continue to work with the UKG and other devolved administrations over issues such as the taste and smell of vaping product to help reduce their appeal to children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-10346

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6F-01264 by the First Minister on 23 June 2022 that a women's health champion would be appointed "this summer", whether it will provide an update on the selection process and the date that the appointment will be announced.

A number of candidates are being considered at present to take on the role of the Women’s Health Champion. The Government expects to make an announcement about an appointment soon.

Whilst work is underway to appoint a champion, we have been prioritising improving information and services for women, including launching a new women’s health platform on NHS Inform, initiating new research on endometriosis, and increasing the choices that women have to access contraception at community pharmacies.

Question reference: S6W-10275

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have applied for a Scotland Loves Local gift card since its launch in summer 2021.

As of 16 August 2022, 16,478 cards have been purchased. In addition, in week commencing 15 August, Glasgow City Council issued 85,000 pre-paid Scotland Loves Local cards to eligible households within the local authority in receipt of Council Tax Reduction as at 1 June 2022. Five other local authorities, which have indicated they will also issue pre-paid cards, have yet to confirm their proposals for distribution.

Question reference: S6W-10265

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09275 by Tom Arthur on 12 July 2022, how many homes are proposed to be built as part of each successful application, and, of those, how many homes will be (a) partly and (b) fully funded.

The following table outlines how many homes are proposed to be built as part of each successful application for the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP). The VDLIP provides funding to cover capital costs associated with remediating and unblocking long-term vacant and derelict land sites. Additional funding to support the delivery of new homes, where this is part of the project proposals, is considered as a part of the application process by the independent investment panel.

Applicant	Round	Project Proposal	Award	Homes proposed	Funding arrangement
City of Edinburgh Council	1 (2021-22)	Western Villages Granton	£619,661	444	Part
Clyde Gateway	1 (2021-22)	Dalmarnock Riverside Park	£750,000	0	NA
East Dunbartonshire Council	1 (2021-22)	Kirkintilloch Community Sport Complex	£836,000	0	NA
East Renfrewshire Council	1 (2021-22)	Levern Water Revival	£1,084,661	0	NA
Falkirk Council	1 (2021-22)	Lionthorn Bing Greenspace Project	£563,621	0	NA
Glasgow City Council	1 (2021-22)	Belle Gro'@ The Meat Market	£450,474	0	NA
Glasgow City Council	1 (2021-22)	Transforming Avenue End Road Greenspace	£417,812	0	NA
Inverclyde Council	1 (2021-22)	6FootLab	£69,000	0	NA
South Lanarkshire Council	1 (2021-22)	Clyde Cycle Park	£296,000	0	NA
South Lanarkshire Council	1 (2021-22)	ONECarluke Community Growing	£84,150	0	NA
City of Edinburgh Council	2 (2022-23)	Greendykes North affordable housing	£623,713	133	Part
Clyde Gateway	2 (2022-23)	D2 GRIDS	£664,000	0	NA
East Dunbartonshire Council	2 (2022-23)	Twechar Canal Regeneration Project	£614,925	15	Part
Glasgow City Council	2 (2022-23)	Hamiltonhill Green Infrastructure Project	£924,911	0	NA
Glasgow City Council	2 (2022-23)	Ruchazie Greening and Growing project	£670,000	0	NA
Inverclyde	2 (2022-23)	Carwood Street Food Growing Project	£69,500	0	NA
Inverclyde	2 (2022-23)	HSCP Community Learning	£990,000	0	NA
North Ayrshire Council	2 (2022-23)	Annickbank Innovation Campus, Irvine Enterprise Area	£400,000	0	NA
North Lanarkshire Council	2 (2022-23)	Glenmanor Greenspace	£230,911	0	NA
West Dunbartonshire Council	2 (2022-23)	Community Food Growing – Former Bonhill PS	£100,000	0	NA

Question reference: S6W-10274

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses (a) have signed up to and (b) are eligible for the Scotland Loves Local gift card scheme, broken down by local authority area.

All businesses with a bricks and mortar presence in their community are eligible to sign up, except for gambling and betting businesses. As of 16 August 2022, 3,839 businesses have signed up to the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card scheme. The table below details the number of businesses that have signed up to the scheme by local authority area.

	Scotland Loves Local Registered Merchants

Aberdeen		234
Aberdeenshire		112
Angus		35
Argyll and Bute		117
Clackmannanshire		14
Dumfries and Galloway		92
Dundee		141
East Ayrshire		218
East Dunbartonshire		88
East Lothian		139
East Renfrewshire		51
Edinburgh		261
Falkirk		164
Fife		116
Glasgow		843
Highland		142
Inverclyde		16
Midlothian		31
Moray		119
Na h-Eileanan an iar		42
North Ayrshire		45
North Lanarkshire		75
Orkney		9
Perth and Kinross		170
Renfrewshire		120
Scottish Borders		32
Shetland		3
South Ayrshire		127
South Lanarkshire		102
Stirling		51
West Dunbartonshire		48
West Lothian		82
		3,839

Question reference: S6W-10266

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what steps it is taking and (b) how it is working with local authorities and further and higher education institutions, to encourage the uptake of a free bus pass through the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme by young people in schools, colleges and universities.

Transport Scotland has recently undertaken a significant engagement exercise with local authorities, in partnership with the Improvement Service and National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). This has allowed us to assess offline application processes, including capacity and uptake of applications through schools, and we have provided additional support to facilitate this where it has been requested.

We have provided a communications toolkit and promotional materials to local authorities, schools, further education bodies and a wide range of other stakeholders. Engagement has been positive with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Universities Scotland, Colleges Scotland, and others, who have aided in the promotion of the scheme to students through college and university networks.

Transport Scotland also launched freebus.scot in May to help improve communications about the scheme, simplify information about the application process, emphasise the benefits of the scheme, provide tips for safe travel and, ultimately, increase uptake across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-10272

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to spend on the A77 in each of the next five years.

Question reference: S6W-10409

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of staff who are currently employed by Home Energy Scotland.

The total full time equivalent staff employed on Home Energy Scotland at the end of July is 208. This figure includes:

All staff within each Home Energy Scotland advice centre working on Home Energy Scotland activity, and teams and specialists managed directly by the Energy Savings Trust including the Extended Hours team, renewables specialists and private sector landlord advisors.
All staff within Energy Saving Trust who are covered by Home Energy Scotland funding.
Management time within the centres and Energy Saving Trust allocated to management of Home Energy Scotland.