The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6O-04476

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-34464, what its position is on whether MSPs should be able to participate in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, in addition to the Armed Forces Visits Programme, should they wish to do so, in light of it being a structured 15-day course with one of the armed services, and it also offering the opportunity to enrol on a Royal College of Defence Studies postgraduate degree level course in strategic leadership and international strategic studies, and it therefore being different in nature.

Question reference: S6W-35484

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not carried out an environmental impact assessment into the procurement of clinical waste disposal contracts.

It is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland to assess the need for an environmental impact assessment.

The NP805/19 Healthcare Waste Services framework, implemented in 2019, requires NHSScotland clinical waste suppliers to follow SEPA regulations and permit requirements for healthcare waste handling and disposal and thereby meeting environmental impact standards. Additionally, environmental and sustainability impacts of the procurement of products and services to NHSScotland are an essential element of awards.

For the 2019 clinical waste award, as part of the specification, suppliers were asked to demonstrate how to minimise environmental impact by reducing waste, improving material recovery, and exploring new disposal methods.

Question reference: S6W-35436

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce a decision on the review into banning lead ammunition, and whether it plans to provide an update and information to the Parliament or the relevant committee on (a) how the decision was reached and (b) its rationale for the decision.

The Scottish Government recognises that the use of lead in ammunition continues to pose risks to both human health and the environment. We prioritised work under assimilated law in 2021 to propose a restriction for lead in ammunition, in agreement with the Welsh and UK Governments, to address these ongoing risks.

We have been working with UK and Welsh Governments to reach a decision following the publication of the Health and Safety Executive’s Opinion on this restriction proposal in December 2024. Once a decision has been agreed between the UK Government, Scottish, and Welsh Ministers, the UK Government will publish a decision report on its website. The Secretary of State must then seek the consent of Scottish and Welsh Ministers to a UK statutory instrument to make this decision law. At this point I will write to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to seek the agreement of the Scottish Parliament to Scottish Ministers consenting to this instrument, the details of which will be notified to the Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-35319

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that youth work services are accessible in areas of economic deprivation.

Question reference: S6W-35311

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of youth work on improving (a) mental health, (b) physical health and (c) wellbeing, and how it supports programmes that focus on promoting such work.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

Youth work falls within the scope of Community Learning and Development (CLD). The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013 require local authorities to plan and arrange the provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.

The Scottish Government published guidance to assist education authorities in producing their 3 year plan for CLD, as required by the 2013 Regulations. The guidance can be accessed at: www.gov.scot/publications/community-learning-development-guidance-2024-2027/documents/.

Current CLD plans, covering the period 2024-2027, can be found on Education Scotland’s website at: education.gov.scot/learning-in-scotland/education-sectors/community-learning-and-development-cld/local-authority-community-learning-and-development-plans/. As the 2013 Regulations place the duties on education authorities and the 3 year plans are published, the Scottish Government does not collate information on youth work programmes centrally.

I commissioned an independent review of CLD in December 2023. The Scottish Government welcomed the Learning: For All. For Life. report published in July 2024, which made 20 recommendations varying in complexity and scope. The report can be accessed at: www.gov.scot/publications/learning-life-report-independent-review-community-learning-development-cld/documents/.

The Scottish Government and CoSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group. The Group will consider the remaining 19 recommendations of the report, including those relating to youth work.

Question reference: S6W-35312

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of youth work on addressing (a) substance abuse and (b) other health-related concerns, and how it supports programmes that focus on promoting such work.

Question reference: S6W-35315

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of youth work, and how it measures the effectiveness of youth work programmes in contributing to local and national economic development.

Question reference: S6W-35323

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that youth work initiatives are aligned with national economic priorities and strategies, such as the Young Person’s Guarantee.

Question reference: S6W-35485

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not sought to develop a high temperature incineration plant in Scotland to dispose of NHS Scotland clinical waste.

The national contract, which is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland, requires suppliers to treat high temperature incineration (HTI) waste, but it did not require a specific solution to create the capability in Scotland. HTI waste constitutes around 15% of NHSScotland clinical waste, and at this time, there remains no investment plan for creating HTI clinical waste treatment capacity in Scotland, as that would involve diverting capital investment away from frontline health and social care services.

Question reference: S6W-35326

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work (a) it and (b) its agencies carry out with (i) local authorities and (ii) youth organisations to assess the economic value of youth work.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland in connection with the grant funding provided to each organisation from the Community Learning and Development (CLD) budget.

Funding is focused on supporting the workforce to deliver high quality youth work, which, in turn, contributes to Scotland’s economic growth by providing disadvantaged young learners with the confidence and skills needed to overcome barriers to progression and enter the workforce.

As part of the independent review of CLD, the Scottish Government published a detailed literature review on the value and impact of Community Learning and Development, including youth work. This includes external research carried out on the economic value of youth work. The literature review was prepared in consultation with a range of CLD stakeholders, including from the youth work sector, and can be accessed at: www.gov.scot/publications/community-learning-development-scotland-internationally-literature-review/.

In addition, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress that local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas.

Chamber and committees

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Question reference: S6O-04476

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Question reference: S6W-35484

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Question reference: S6W-35436

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Question reference: S6W-35319

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Question reference: S6W-35311

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Question reference: S6W-35315

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Question reference: S6W-35326

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