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-07274

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many children have been taught to play a musical instrument in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-07194

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many of Historic Environment Scotland's properties are being left, as has been reported, to "gracefully die".

As reported on 21 January 2022, Historic Environment Scotland introduced new measures to manage the impact of climate change on Scotland's national heritage sites. Whilst I can confirm that inspections and analysis of some affected sites continue, let me assure you that no properties are being left without care. Historic Environment Scotland is considering all options available to best protect the 336 nationally significant properties in care, and is continuing the vital conservation and protection work which it is internationally recognised for, especially as we seek to build resilience into the heritage sector’s recovery from the pandemic.

It is important however that we recognise that climate change effects have been accelerating, and the increased rainfall and variations in temperature have continuing impacts on both Scotland's natural and built heritage. I will continue discussing future potential approaches with Historic Environment Scotland as we continue our work to make our heritage safe, and accessible to all, so we can better understand our past, to best inform our future.

Question reference: S6W-07149

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost Historic Environment Scotland to erect and maintain scaffolding at the Dun Carloway Broch site since July 2019.

The information requested is not held centrally, but instead concerns day-to-day operational matters best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland. Please be advised I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write to the member with the answer to his question.

Further to this enquiry, I understand that Historic Environment Scotland have offered Donald Cameron MSP a site visit to Dun Carloway Broch with Historic Environment Scotland experts, to learn first-hand about the type of issues that the property is facing, and I look forward to learning the results of this visit.

Question reference: S6W-06759

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-01709 by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2021, how many people have been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in (a) the Dumbarton constituency and (b) Scotland, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-06764

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of metastatic breast cancer patients have received a holistic needs assessment, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-06742

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how young people aged 12 to 17 can evidence a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent recovery from the condition for foreign travel purposes, in light of the NHS Scotland COVID Status app being unavailable to this age group and that a hard copy vaccination status letter reportedly does not include details of COVID-19 status.

Anyone who is not able to use the app, including children, can obtain a paper vaccination certificate from the NHS Inform website or our COVID Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565 . We are currently developing a way to issue paper certificates for proof of recovery, which is evidence of a positive PCR test; and an age-appropriate way to provide digital access to Covid Status for children. In the meantime people who cannot use the app can show proof of their recovery status using the email or text messages that notifies them of a positive PCR test.

Question reference: S6W-06768

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of clinical nurse specialists who specialise in brain tumours, and what steps NHS Scotland is taking to ensure that all brain tumour patients have access to a named clinical nurse specialist.

Information on the number of brain tumour specialist nurses is not held centrally.

As part of the National Cancer Plan, we are providing up to £2.5 million to NHS boards to support 12 pilot programmes across Scotland to deliver a single point of contact for cancer patients. These points of contact will support patients throughout their journey to discuss questions or anxieties related to their clinical care from the point of diagnosis.

Question reference: S6W-06760

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-01709 by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2021, how many people have been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in each of the last 10 years, and of those, how many people were diagnosed (a) less than and (b) more than five years after a diagnosis of primary breast cancer.

Question reference: S6W-07089

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) it allocated to and (b) was distributed to successful grant applicants from the Croft House Grant scheme in each year from 2016 to 2022.

Financial Year	Budget Allocation	Funding Distributed (£)
2016-17	£1.4m	679,568
2017-18	£2m	1,079,466
2018-19	£1.9m	1,272,058
2019-20	£1.9m	1,183,846
2020-21	£1.9m	1,123,231
2021-22 *	£1.9m	886,120

* As at 8 March 2022.

Funding under the Croft House Grant is provided retrospectively in up to three stages. For this reason, funding committed in any financial year can be claimed by applicants and paid in both the current and following 2-3 financial years. An underspend in any given year is more indicative of agreed grants not being wholly or partially drawn down in the year they were agreed.

Question reference: S6W-07036

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what apprenticeships or subsidised training schemes there are for people seeking to train in (a) welding and (b) metal fabrication.

For individuals who undertake the Engineering and Engineering Construction frameworks, there is the opportunity to complete a Scottish Vocational Qualification in the units set out below:

Engineering:

Fabrication and Welding Engineering (SCQF Level 6)
Fabrication and Welding Engineering Sheet Metalwork 3mm, less (SCQF Level 6)
Fabrication and Welding Engineering (Manual Welding) (SCQF Level 6)

Engineering Construction:

Diploma in Welding Engineering Construction Plate (SCQF Level 7)

There are also qualifications available for those who wish to train in welding through the Employability Fund (EF), which was developed as a response to concerns that the existing landscape of provision for pre-employment support in Scotland was too fragmented and not flexible enough to meet the needs of individuals and local labour markets.

With a strong focus on work experience, the EF responds to the different needs of individuals, while also adapting to employer demands on a local basis. Employability Fund can be used to support people to develop the employability and vocational skills they need to make the transition into a Modern Apprenticeship or job.

As part of the EF, the following qualifications are available for individuals to undertake:

Welding - Radiographic Interpretation of Welds
Welding Inspector
Welding Code Core Flux 6 GR EN ISO 96061
Flux Core Welding 6G H-LO45 135/136 incl. Exam
CSWIP Welding Inspection with E-Learning