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: S5W-07478

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the planning system contributes to reducing health inequalities.

Scottish Planning Policy supports delivery of high-quality buildings, infrastructure and spaces in the right locations, helping to provide people with choices to live more active, engaged, independent and healthy lifestyles.

The Place Standard is a tool that has been developed by the Scottish Government and partners to help support planning and place issues address inequalities, with a particular focus on health inequalities. It aims to identify the physical and social assets of a place in order to overcome longstanding patterns of poor health and vulnerability and to create the places that support and nurture health.

Question reference: S5W-07480

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what financial and practical support it makes available to communities and individuals to participate in the statutory planning process.

The Scottish Government provides a wide range of support to communities and individuals to participate in the statutory planning process. In 2016-17, this included a total of £537,000 in direct support of 19 community projects through the Design Charrettes and Activating Ideas Fund and to PAS in its work to provide advice and training to individuals and communities across Scotland. The Government and partners have also been active in promoting The Place Standard which provides a simple framework for communities to structure conversations about place.

In addition, the Scottish Government recognises the important role, within the wider community empowerment agenda, that community councils can play in local life. We have therefore supported the launch of a Community Council website (www.communitycouncils.org.uk) and funded a series of digital engagement workshops for community councillors.

Question reference: S5W-07114

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment in the Bliss Scotland baby report 2017, that "three quarters of [neonatal] units...do not have enough nurses in post to meet minimum standards for providing safe, high quality care".

Question reference: S5W-07481

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent advice it has received from Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England is on the design, siting and management of incinerators, and what action has it taken to monitor and review emerging evidence and research.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and Public Health England (PHE) do not advise the Scottish Government on the design, siting and management of incinerators. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) determines what is acceptable in relation to incineration facilities through its permitting and licensing systems. Current SEPA guidance on this subject can be found at the following address: https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/energy-from-waste/#how

HPS has a remit to provide the Scottish Government and others with advice on the potential health impacts of processes such as incineration. The existing regulatory regime governing waste incineration processes already incorporates a precautionary approach and sets emissions standards explicitly designed to limit human exposure to potentially harmful contaminants. The present system is therefore designed to protect human health. The evidence to date does not suggest a need to adopt a different approach however HPS keep the literature under review on an ongoing basis.

Question reference: S5W-07113

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment in the Bliss Scotland baby report 2017, that "four out of ten [neonatal] units reported that lack of funding for training and development was a barrier, with a number of units noting that were funding for QIS [qualification in speciality] and Advanced Neonatal Nurse Medical Practitioner training was readily available, funding for other training was difficult to find".

The Scottish Government has provided funding to support the establishment and delivery of Qualified in Speciality and Advance Neonatal Nurse Practitioner training in Scotland for the last four years. We expect all NHS Boards to ensure that their neonatal staff are appropriately trained to the required levels to deliver safe care. I announced that analysis of future workforce requirements will be a key priority for the group tasked with implementing the recommendations of the review of Maternity and Neonatal Services.

Question reference: S5F-00979

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Samaritans' report, Dying from Inequality, which suggests that there is an increased risk of suicide in the most deprived communities.

Question reference: S5W-07237

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many women and girls have been diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome caused by tampon use in each of the last 10 years.

The number of women and girls diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome caused by tampon use is not held centrally. Information on the number of female patients aged 16 and over who have been diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome from any cause in an inpatient setting is shown in the following table.

Number of female patients aged 16 and older who were admitted to hospital with toxic shock syndrome from any cause (ICD-10 code A48.3), Financial years 2006-07 – 2015-16.

Financial Year	Number of individuals
2006-07	3
2007-08	12
2008-09	11
2009-10	4
2010-11	5
2011-12	7
2012-13	6
2013-14	8
2014.15	6
2015-16	5

Question reference: S5W-07477

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review planning policy guidance on buffer zones between sensitive receptors and waste facilities.

Question reference: S5W-07235

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many women have presented as homeless in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-07441

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference will be for the group that it has agreed to lead to write new qualities and standards for school toilets.

The group agreed that the guidance will aim to:

Outline a framework for an effective toilet provision and management strategy that caters for all children and young people in our schools. The approach should be easy for schools to adopt but also ensure that children’s rights to hygienic, safe, respectful and private facilities are met.

Promote the implementation of a universal toilet provision and management strategy with the aim of maintaining a high standard of toilet provision and management practice standards in all Scottish schools.

Set a precedent for good toilet provision and management practice standards in future new build and refurbishment projects.