- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how often the full list of public appointments by public bodies is published.
Answer
The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments only. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Code of Conduct for Public Appointments (2022).
The list is intended to be updated regularly so that it reflects recently made appointments. It was corrected on 25 March 2025 following the identification of errors.
Details added to the spreadsheet should be correct at the point of the appointment commencing. These details may change over time and become out of date. A process is underway to update the spreadsheet to ensure accuracy, including rectification of any other errors identified, and it will be re-published when complete.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Investigation into the care and treatment of Mr TU, published in March 2023, what steps it is taking to address any gaps in throughcare services, particularly for prisoners on remand, and whether this will include revisions to the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards.
Answer
Throughcare services are in place to support individuals being released from custody to reintegrate into the community, which includes providing support with any accommodation needs. A new national voluntary throughcare service, Upside, with annual funding of £5.3 million from the Scottish Government, launched on 1 April 2025.
Upside replaces the throughcare services provided by the Shine and New Routes Public Social Partnerships (PSPs). The service offers one to one support to individuals leaving short-term sentences and individuals who are being released from periods of remand and who may face unexpected release from court. The support is tailored to the individual and helps to address their specific needs following release from custody, such as accessing benefits, healthcare and suitable housing. As well as helping with these immediate needs, Upside will also help individuals to identify and build any longer-term support required to reintegrate into their communities.
Under the previous PSP provision, men on remand were not eligible for throughcare support. The Upside service addresses this, with support being offered to individuals leaving short sentences or periods on remand. This support is available now for short term prisoners and women on remand, with support for men on remand commencing in the summer. Over the coming months, Upside, SPS, Scottish Government and other partners will develop and refine the service delivery for those individuals who are on remand, to ensure they are supported on their release.
The Sustainable Housing On Release for Everyone (SHORE) Standards, include steps to ensure that any existing tenancies are sustained where appropriate and that housing is available on release, including after a period of remand. Anyone who is homeless or at risk of homelessness, including individuals leaving prison, has the right to approach a local authority for advice and assistance. Local authorities are obliged by law to offer advice and assistance for people who are at risk or who are experiencing homelessness, including providing temporary accommodation if it is needed.
The SHORE standards were refreshed in November 2024 to bring them up to date with legislation and policy changes. A more thorough review of the SHORE standards, which may include the potential to develop further guidance relating to individuals who are released from remand or direct from court, as well as from police custody, is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, where the minutes of meetings held between the Scottish Ministers and COSLA can be accessed.
Answer
The answer to S6W-32194 referred to a Scottish Government and COSLA funding working group set up to consider both the affordability of the 2015 flood protection scheme programme and use lessons learned to inform the future funding and governance model for flooding. This group is not attended by Ministers but by Scottish Government officials.
The majority of these minutes have previously been released by Scottish Government in response to an Environmental Information Regulations request - Flood Risk Management Working Group meeting minutes: EIR release - gov.scot.
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: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the Marine Conservation Society 2024 report, State of our Beaches, which records that drinks-related litter was found on 95% of the beaches surveyed.
Answer
The Scottish Government thanks the Marine Conservation Society and all the many volunteers for their excellent work in monitoring beach litter and cleaning our shores. Citizen science is valued, and in combination with data from our scientists and our wider international monitoring programme, it is useful in helping us prioritise policy development to effectively reduce marine litter.
Drinks related litter on our shores is entirely avoidable, and that is why we remain committed to the delivery of a successful Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers. This scheme is expected to increase recycling rates for these containers to at least 90% and reduce litter on our beaches while supporting the growth of a more circular economy.
We are working closely with industry and the other UK government to launch a DRS in October 2027.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, where the annual reports required under section 52 of the Flood Risk Management Act (2009), can be accessed.
Answer
Flood risk management implementation reports are available on the Scottish Government's website. Some reports have been completed for single years and some for multiple years.
Relevant links are provided below:
A report covering the period 2021 to 2024 is under development.
Local authorities also produce regular mid cycle and end of cycle reports on the delivery of actions in the Flood Risk Management Plans.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Investigation into the care and treatment of Mr TU, published in March 2023, whether it will introduce measures to ensure that all remand prisoners are provided with suitable accommodation and support upon unexpected release, and if this is the case, what the timeline is for implementing such measures.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36086 on 24 April 2025. 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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, whether it will meet all final costs, regardless of any increase compared with the initial estimate.
Answer
As outlined in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November, since 2016, the Scottish Government has allocated £570 million to local authorities for flood protection schemes and flood resilience. In this period, the estimated costs of cycle one schemes eligible for funding has risen.
A joint Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group was established to make recommendations to Ministers and COSLA Leaders on how to improve the affordability of the remaining cycle one schemes. This has resulted in the removal of 6 schemes that failed to meet key progress deadlines from the funding programme.
The Funding Working Group are considering whether further recommendations are required to ensure the programme remains affordable.
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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, for what reason more schemes have not been confirmed, or begun the legal notification process towards confirmation, in light of £570 million being assigned for the period 2016-26, and only £408.8 million estimated to date as final costs.
Answer
The £570 million referenced in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November 2024 is provided by Scottish Government to local authorities to support a range of flood resilience actions, including cycle 1 Flood Protection Schemes. The development and delivery of Flood Protection Schemes is a local authority responsibility.
Cost estimates for completion of cycle one flood protection schemes are updated annually by local authorities in November so estimated costs have increased since question S6W-30798 was answered.
The Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group are considering new recommendations to put to Ministers and COSLA Leaders to improve certainty around the remaining cycle 1 flood protection schemes. This is necessary before commitment to new schemes outside cycle one.
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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, whether SEPA's assessment of flood protection schemes completed for the 2021 Flood Risk Management Plans is available to view.
Answer
This information is not published, however is available on request from SEPA.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the level of funding for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund to be adequate to meet its stated targets.
Answer
The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund has supported over 13,000 social homes since its launch, investing approximately £70 million in energy efficiency and clean heat projects.
While public funding and support will continue to play a big part in the clean heat transition for social housing, decarbonising Scotland’s buildings will require a mix of both public and private finance with the recent Green Heat Finance Taskforce Part 2 report exploring how to attract greater private investment. The Scottish Government will respond to the Taskforce report in the coming months.
