Question ref. S6W-05394
Asked by: Lennon, Monica, Central Scotland, Date lodged: 6 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the use of the CitizenCard as valid ID for the purposes of the vaccine certification scheme.
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 February 2022
Currently only passports and driving licences are accepted as valid forms of ID for registering on the NHS Scotland COVID Status app. Should forms of identification accepted be expanded, then Citizen Cards would be considered alongside other forms of ID. Individuals without a passport and driving licence can request a paper or PDF copy of their COVID Status through NHS Inform .
Question ref. S6W-06079
Asked by: Martin, Gillian, Aberdeenshire East, Date lodged: 26 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a review of the response to Storm Arwen.
Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by John Swinney on 27 January 2022
I can confirm that we have published our report this morning, and the review report is available at www.gov.scot/publications/storm-arwen-review.
The review is the result of a wide range of local debriefs which took place in the aftermath of Storm Arwen. The Scottish Government has used this information, from those involved at the frontline of the response, to develop a range of recommendations which we hope will support the evolution of our resilience planning. I would like to express my thanks to those who participated in this process, during what has been a time of considerable pressure across the sector.
Question ref. S4W-03706
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie, Dumbarton, Date lodged:
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02691 by Angela Constance on 26 September 2011, how many of the people already registered as (a) managers, (b) workers with supervisory responsibilities, (c) practitioners and (d) support workers in adult care home services have attained the level of qualification required.
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 November 2011
This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.
However, as with my response to your question S4W-02691 I will ask the Chief Executive of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to respond to your question.
Question ref. S3W-37809
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie, Dumbarton, Date lodged: 24 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it should take for a colonoscopy procedure following a positive test on a bowel screening programme.
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2010
The time from bowel screening test result to date colonoscopy performed is a key performance indicator for the National Bowel Screening Programme.
In its commitment to continue to drive down waiting times for cancer treatment, the Scottish Government has included patients diagnosed with cancer following a positive screening testing in the 62-day cancer waiting time target. Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer referred through the National Bowel Screening Programme are expected to have completed their diagnostic tests (including colonoscopy where appropriate) and received their first treatment within 62 days. Performance against this target will be published for the first time in December 2010 for quarter July to September 2010.
Question ref. S6W-05148
Asked by: Lennon, Monica, Central Scotland, Date lodged: 16 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to mitigate any risks to wildlife that may be caused by light pollution, as a result of the 2022 arts project, Green Spaces Dark Skies, which is part of the programme UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2022
Unboxed is a festival of creativity and innovation with Green Spaces, Dark Skies one of the six cross-UK programmes funded directly by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports and administered via Festival UK Ltd.
Details of all planned activity across these cross-UK programmes and the relevant contacts for further queries are available using the URL UNBOXED | Creativity in the UK (unboxed2022.uk) .
The organisers of the Green Spaces, Dark Skies programme across the UK (Walk the Plank) are responsible for delivery of their programme in all Four Nations and the Scottish Government understand that they have already been in contact with NatureScot (Scotland's nature agency), the relevant National Park Agencies, Historic Environment Scotland, the RSPB and relevant local partners in each community to ensure the work will be responsive to the sensitivities at the selected sites, including no adverse impact on wildlife and bio-diversity.
Question ref. S6W-05210
Asked by: Mundell, Oliver, Dumfriesshire, Date lodged: 20 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of funding constraints, whether flood prevention schemes will be subjected to more rigorous tests of viability than were applied in their approval or priority designation.
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 January 2022
Every six years, when preparing Flood Risk Management Plans, SEPA assess measures for reducing flood risk against a range of criteria and consider the priority to be given to each measure. The availability of Scottish Government funding is not one of the criteria used to prioritise measures.
It is for individual local authorities to take forward the design and construction of schemes proposed in the Plans ensuring that the schemes meet the necessary statutory requirements for approval set out in Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. To support this work, the Scottish Government provides a minimum of £42million per annum through the General Capital Grant. An additional £150million has been committed over the next 5 years.
Question ref. S6W-05211
Asked by: Mundell, Oliver, Dumfriesshire, Date lodged: 23 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to COSLA leaders’ agreement, as notified in the elected members briefing of 6 July 2021, to pause Flood Risk Management schemes that were not legally committed by local authorities, whether it expects local authorities to inform their local populations that Flood Risk Management schemes are considered (a) legally committed and (b) not legally committed.
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 January 2022
The recommendation from COSLA leaders was a pause by local authorities of any non-legally committed flood protection scheme, pending a review of projects by a programme oversight group. A review of these projects is being undertaken to assess their status and viability and COSLA will present the review findings to Ministers in due course. That review is still ongoing and it is for COSLA and local authorities to determine how to communicate that information to local populations.
Question ref. S6W-05636
Asked by: Sweeney, Paul, Glasgow, Date lodged: 12 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what role it has in administering the UK Government’s Help to Buy ISA scheme in Scotland, and what (a) discussions it has had with the UK Government and (b) action it can take regarding reports that changes may be made to the access of scheme holders in Scotland to the 25% of their closing balance bonus payment.
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 January 2022
The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the Help to Buy ISA
Question ref. S6W-05641
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie, Dumbarton, Date lodged: 10 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism is in place for NHS boards to report on audiology service standards.
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2022
Organisations delivering services are responsible for implementing standards at a local level, and local quality frameworks and procedures will assist them in monitoring progress.
We are committed to exploring national governance arrangements as a part of the Independent Review of Audiology Services announced on 21 January 2022. This will include reviewing opportunities to improve data collection and a national peer review mechanism for monitoring progress in implementation of these standards across Scotland.
Question ref. S6W-05476
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie, Dumbarton, Date lodged: 10 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the British Academy of Audiology’s report into NHS Lothian Paediatric Audiology, how many families have been contacted out of the 22,900 patients identified as possibly needing to be retested due to service failures between 2009 and 2018.
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2022
NHS Lothian have, as part of their action plan agreed with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the British Academy of Audiology and the Scottish Government, contacted 92 children identified in the review as being of clinical concern and requiring possible retesting.
The Board continues to undertake work to review children known to the service who have risk factors for hearing loss and, based on the outcome of each review, recall children where appropriate in line with national guidance.