- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the current (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation since they were appointed to their role.
Answer
Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have met formally with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation on one occasion since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the current (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met with the Shetland Fishermen’s Association since they were appointed to their role.
Answer
Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have met formally with the Shetland Fishermen’s Association on one occasion since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2024-25 to utilise capsule sponge technologies; how much will be allocated in 2025-26, and how many people it expects will be able to access these technologies.
Answer
From 2024-25, Boards have started to transition to business as usual for these tests and a small amount of funding was provided to support this transition. For NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde this equated to £36,450.
The Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.
Answer
The Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme, developed in light of the recommendations of James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape and the Scottish Government’s own report on the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills, is progressing well.
I provided the latest update on the progress made by the projects within this programme in the annex to my letter of 20 December 2024 to the Public Audit Committee.
Response to Public Audit Committee from Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans.
Additionally, on 22 January 2025 I announced, as the next step in delivering our plans for post-school education reform, that we will consolidate all post-school provision funding within the Scottish Funding Council and all student support funding. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33842.
I will update the Parliament in due course on plans for the Bill announced in the Programme for Government 2024-25.
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: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of lost or stolen government-issued mobile phones have been reported in the last five years, and what actions were taken in response.
Answer
In the five calendar years from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2024 134 mobile phones were reported lost or stolen. The Scottish Government has robust processes and procedures in place when mobile phones are reported lost or stolen. This includes removing access to corporate data and suspending or cancelling the mobile number.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to community-led health initiatives in rural areas over the last five years, and what the outcomes were.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the particular health challenges faced by those in rural areas. In addition to the support outlined in response to S6W-33562 on 3 February 2025, we have invested in a number of funding streams which have included allocations for community-led health initiatives in rural areas, including:
- £66 million in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults since 2021, with more than 4,800 grants made to local projects across Scotland over the first three years. Of these more than 900 grants were made to community projects supporting people disadvantaged by geographical location (including rural areas) - Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults Year 3 – Monitoring and Reporting Summary
- Over £65 million since 2020 to fund community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children, young people and their families, including those in rural areas -
Independent-Evaluation-of-Community-Mental-Health-Supports-and-Services-April-2023.pdf
Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services: summary report - January to June 2023 - gov.scot
- Over £29 million of Community-led Local Development (CLLD) funding since 2021 to deliver over 1000 grassroots community-led projects across rural & island Scotland in partnership with rural organisations. Some of which have health related benefits ranging from mental health and wellbeing to physical health. Communities are empowered and supported to design and implement the solutions to the challenges and opportunities they identify in their local area, which may include community led health and social care provision
- A further £11.4 million in 2024-25 to support Community-led Local Development and similar initiatives in our rural and island communities.
Links to the most recent evaluation reports of each of these initiatives, including information on outcomes, are included above where available. A review of CLLD funding began in 2024-25, and will continue throughout 2025-26.
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: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government which public opinion and research organisations it has commissioned to carry out any work regarding Scottish independence or Scotland's constitutional future, since May 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not commissioned any public opinion and research organisations to carry out any work regarding Scottish independence or Scotland's constitutional future since May 2021.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the frequency and severity of storms that have affected Aberdeenshire over the last five years, and what plans it has to improve infrastructure resilience in the region.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on the frequency and severity of storms. This information is collected and held by Met Office.
We have recently made available £5m per annum capital budget over 4 years to fund the extension of the public water network to enable the removal of Private Water Supplies which should improve resilience to affected water supplies during power outages. Milton of Cushnie in Aberdeenshire has been shortlisted as one of the communities who will benefit from this funding.
The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) published in December 2022, provides guidance on long term investment in Scotland’s strategic transport network. STPR2 recommends future investment to ensure that Scotland’s trunk road network remains safe (Recommendation 30), adapted to deal with the impacts of climate change (Recommendation 31) and resilient (Recommendation 32).
Recommendation 31 provides a basis for identifying, prioritising and implementing transport infrastructure improvements. Measures could include but are not limited to strengthening or replacing sea walls, upgrading coastal fences and stabilising embankments, slopes and hillsides.
Scottish Government have also initiated a Significant Local Infrastructure process in which Local Resilience Partnerships are mapping infrastructure within their geographic areas. This will allow better understanding of this local infrastructure and will collate a rich picture to support further work, including identifying dependencies and interdependencies and allow improvements to business continuity and emergency response plans.
We would recommend that, should you require further information on storms and infrastructure in Aberdeenshire, you contact Aberdeenshire Council.
- Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the COVID-19 lockdowns might have left a generation of children in Scotland with damaged eyesight.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2025
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the banking sector regarding how to ensure that communities do not lose access to banking services, in light of reports that Lloyds Banking Group plans to close 14 Bank of Scotland branches over the next two years.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2025
