Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-00225

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the capacity of on-street charging infrastructure as drivers switch to electric vehicles.

Question reference: S6O-00229

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the dualling of the A96.

Question reference: S6W-03270

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccination certification scheme.

Question reference: S6W-02842

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19 to reduce any occupational segregation in sectors such as energy, transport, construction, agriculture and manufacturing in areas that are male-dominated.

Our 2021 manifesto committed to continuing to promote Fair Work in the Scottish Economy and help tackle occupational segregation, one of the main drivers of the gender pay gap and women’s workplace inequality.

Our Covid Recovery Strategy will bring together the actions we will take across government and with partners to address the impact of the pandemic on those hardest hit in our country. Our 10-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation will then help build a greener, fairer and more inclusive wellbeing economy, which has fair work, including tacking the gender pay gap, and a just transition to net zero at its heart, and which delivers sustainable and inclusive growth for Scotland’s people and places.

Question reference: S6W-02682

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timetable for the establishment of the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-02686

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray will include funding for current projects and workforce commitments; if so, which ones, and what funding will be available for new projects.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-02841

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out a gender impact assessment in relation to its Green Jobs Fund.

The Green Jobs Fund is not a skills or training fund. Over the next 5 years, the £100m Fund will provide businesses with capital investment towards improved green products and services and related research and development. All individual funding applications are subject to a detailed appraisal process that includes an equality impact assessment and evaluation of fair work practices. We will also ensure that larger consortia projects produce plans which help diversify their sectors and will use appropriate monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure successful companies and their net zero supply chains provide positive economic and employment impacts that raise skill levels and close skills gaps.

Question reference: S6W-02766

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, including what resources are available, to raise awareness of the (a) Scottish Outdoor Access Code and (b) dangers of visiting some rural locations, in light of recent water deaths.

Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, it is the duty of NatureScot and local authorities and National Park Authorities to publicise the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The Scottish Government’s public agencies are running promotional campaigns, such as the Sustainable and Responsible Tourism in Scotland initiative (VisitScotland) or the Responsible Access campaign (Cairngorms National Park). These campaigns promote responsible enjoyment of the countryside, as part of the wider national visitor management strategy co-ordinated by VisitScotland.

Figures show there has been widespread public engagement with these campaigns over the spring and summer period. For example, 12.8 million impressions across social media have been received by NatureScot since March 2021.

£2.75 million has been allocated by Scottish Ministers this year for the Better Places Green Recovery Fund, administered by NatureScot, which partly provides for additional seasonal rangers to promote responsible behaviour in line with the access code. We are also providing our National Parks with an extra £3.6 million in 2021 which will also include additional support for seasonal rangers.

With specific regard to water safety, which is an important issue in urban as well as rural areas, the Scottish Government works closely with Water Safety Scotland and other key partners to implement and support initiatives that can help raise awareness of the hazards around water and reduce deaths from accidental drowning. They run a series of campaigns annually, including ‘Drowning Prevention Week’, ‘Don’t Drink and Drown’ and ‘Inflatable Safety’. The Scottish Government also provides annual grant funding to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to deliver its annual home and water safety programme, which includes providing a secretariat to Water Safety Scotland.

Messaging is performed by a number of public agencies in a number of formats, and cumulative figures on spend are not available.

Question reference: S6W-02920

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve fracture liaison services.

Scotland is the second country in the world, after New Zealand, with 100 per cent Fracture Liaison Service provision across all 14 Health Boards.

Our NHS Recovery Plan, published on 25 August, outlines that the Centre for Sustainable Delivery will work collaboratively with Health Boards, health and social care partners, third sector, academia and industry to identify and implement improvements to care pathways across Scotland. This will include extending new approaches to delivering care that minimise the requirement for patients to travel, and provide services more efficiently – for example virtual appointments and virtual fracture clinics.

Question reference: S6W-02917

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason regular cervical screening tests have been changed from every three to every five years.

Chamber and committees