Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-00182

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains supportive of Opportunity North East’s ambition of establishing an energy transition zone adjacent to the new Aberdeen South Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-02221

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to implement the principles of Mental Health Awareness Week in the public sector workplace.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of enhancing mental health awareness and provision within the public sector and wider workplace.

Our Clear Your Head campaign has been in place since April 2020 to help people look after their mental health during the pandemic. Given the particular pressures on Health & Social Care over this period, we have provided a range of additional wellbeing support to the Health and Social Care workforce including the National Wellbeing Hub, the National Wellbeing Helpline, Coaching for Wellbeing, the Workforce Specialist Service and additional funding for psychological interventions and therapies to support the mental health of Health and Social Care staff.

More generally, we continue to support See Me, Scotland’s national campaign to end mental health stigma and discrimination, improving the culture, policies and practices for workplaces. Our ambition is for a trauma informed workforce across Scotland, supported by our National Trauma Training Programme. We also have a short life working group in place to take forward key actions relating to employment and mental health from our ‘Covid 19 Mental Health Transition and Recovery’ plan.

Question reference: S6W-02374

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a firework licensing system whereby adults would be required to apply for a licence and complete an online safety training course before they could purchase fireworks, and, if so, how much it estimates it would cost (a) an individual to apply for such a licence and (b) to administer such a system.

Following the final report from the independent Fireworks Review Group recommending a fundamental shift in how fireworks are accessed and used in Scotland, the Scottish Government intends to implement the recommendations from the Group as a matter of urgency to ensure positive change is in place for communities going forward.

This includes a recommendation that mandatory conditions are introduced before the general public are able to purchase fireworks. Mandatory conditions may include, for example, the successful completion of an online safety test and payment of a fee, to ensure that fireworks are used safely and appropriately.

The Scottish Government recently sought views through a public consultation which included a proposal that mandatory conditions of sale could be implemented through a fireworks licensing system. The consultation closed on 15 August and received over 1700 responses from members of the public and stakeholder organisations. The responses are being independently analysed and the results will inform next steps and development of legislation relating to fireworks and pyrotechnics.

Question reference: S6W-02119

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has received from the UK Government in Barnett consequentials as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how much of this funding is yet to be (a) spent and (b) allocated.

The Scottish Government received a total of £9.7 billion in Barnett consequentials from the UK Government for 2020-21, with £8.6 billion allocated throughout 2020-21 and £1.1 billion deferred into 2021-22. The Scottish Government set out details of the allocation of the £8.6 billion in the Summer, Autumn and Spring Budget Revisions for that year.

A total of £4.7 billion of Covid-19 consequentials are available for 2021-22, including the £1.1 billion deferred from 2020-21. The allocation of £3.7 billion of this is set out in the Budget Act for 2021-22, as amended and approved by Parliament. Details of the allocation of the remaining £1 billion of further Barnett consequentials, allocated to the Scottish Government at the UK Main Estimates in May, will be included in the Autumn Budget Revision in September, in line with the information on allocations provided by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy in her letter to the Finance and Public Administration Committee in June.

I provided details of the provisional outturn position for 2020-21 to the Parliament on 17 June. Final outturn on all Scottish Government spending for 2020-21 is still being finalised and will be set out in the Scottish Government Accounts, to be published in December.

Tracking of actual spending during the year is managed in different ways depending on the nature of the funding. For areas such as Business Support, where grant funding is clearly identified as Covid-19, expenditure to date has been tracked and details are regularly published externally;

See Scottish Government statistics publication site: Coronavirus (COVID-19): business support funding statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

For other areas were funding has been provided to a sector, the additional payments relating to Covid allocations are included in the standard monthly payments out to individual bodies. For example payments to Health Boards are often paid as one monthly amount with subsequent reporting from Boards on how that funding has been allocated across different priorities. In some instances its is not always possible to distinguish the application of Covid funding from the wider day to day activities of the organisation as they work through the recovery.

Question reference: S6O-00120

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its cooperation agreement with the Scottish Green Party, whether it will provide an update on its position on maintaining the monarch as the head of state in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-02219

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of NHS employees that were dismissed during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 in (a) Scotland and (b) the NHS Grampian region.

Question reference: S6W-02220

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees were dismissed during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 in (a) Scotland and (b) the Grampian region.

Question reference: S6W-01391

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding whether the people who received the Novavax vaccine as part of the clinical trial, which includes 400 volunteers from the NHS Grampian area (a) will be given a "fully vaccinated" status and allowed to partake in any greater freedoms that this status may soon bring, (b) will be able to download their vaccination status from the NHS Inform website, and, if so, by what date and, if Novavax is not approved, when these volunteers can expect to be offered an alternative vaccine.

The Scottish Government recognises that clinical trials for vaccinations are critical for responding to COVID-19 and we would like to thank all those who have volunteered to take part in these trial, you are providing a great benefit for our society and indeed the rest of the world.

On 11 June 2021 the Deputy Chief Medical Officer wrote an open letter to UK residents who have volunteered to take part in COVID-19 vaccine studies outlining that those participating in such trials should not be disadvantaged in terms of any future domestic vaccine certification, if introduced, compared to anyone else who has had their vaccines under the standard NHS programme.

Those involved in clinical trials will shortly receive a letter confirming their involvement in the trials. This letter can be used for domestic purposes as proof of trial status. We are also working on a technical solution that will enable them to access their record on NHS Inform.

Question reference: S6W-01858

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on making improvements to the Toll of Birness junction on the A90.

Transport Scotland undertakes an annual assessment of the safety performance of the entire trunk road network, including the A90, and considers accident patterns and rates in the form of Route Accident Reduction Plans. In the short term, a Vehicle Activated Sign will be installed at this junction, with the aim of raising driver awareness and improving safety.

Recommendations for future transport investment will emerge from the ongoing second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) which is considering potential improvements to the trunk road network (and all other modes) across Scotland. The Aberdeen City Region Deal - Strategic Transport Appraisal Pre-Appraisal Study, recommended a package of possible road improvements for the A90 from Ellon to Peterhead and Fraserburgh. This, together with the other 34 remaining recommendations, are now subject to further appraisal as part of this review.

The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against transport planning objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. We also need to consider Value for Money based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance Criteria. This will be an important consideration given the pressures on current and future public finances. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on upgrading specific sections of the A90, including the Toll of Birness. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Question reference: S6W-01487

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the First Minister on 13 July 2021 that, “We are determined to make sure that volunteers who have participated in the Novavax trials are not disadvantaged in any way. Work is on-going to ensure that their vaccine status is correctly shown on NHS systems, so that that can be relied on… I gave the assurance that we will continue to do everything that we can to make sure that those who have participated in the Novavax trials are not disadvantaged”, whether it will provide further detail of what work is being carried out, and what progress has been made with this.

Work is ongoing to ensure the vaccine status of those who volunteered for clinical trials in Scotland is correctly presented on the vaccine database. A letter confirming their involvement in the trials is being issued to those who participated. Any participant who has not yet received a letter should contact their respective research team. The letter can be used for domestic purposes as proof of trial status. However, it’s important to note that we have no plans at present to make vaccine certification a requirement of access to services in Scotland.

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