- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the next round of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will be announced.
Answer
The Scottish Government will provide an update on FWDF in due course.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on implementing a local inheritance tax.
Answer
This is not a proposal of the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many active working groups there are that fall under the remit of the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio.
Answer
Noting that Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition (TNZJT) is a significant portfolio, there are currently a number of Scottish Government working groups that fall under the remit of TNZJT. The following non-exhaustive list includes currently active groups that would fall under TNZJT portfolio and are managed by the Scottish Government.
- National strategy for 20mph Working Group
- Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
- Private Water Supply Working Group
- Scottish Blue Carbon Forum
- Contaminated Land Advisory Group
- Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
- Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group
- Transport Sector Skills & CESAP Transport Policy Working Group
- Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group
- Single Use Cups Charge Advisory Group
- Waste Data Strategy Board
- National Flytipping Forum
- Food Waste Reduction Programme Board
- Recycling Improvement Fund Programme Board
- Waste & Resources Sector Forum
- Joint Scottish Government/Local Government Strategic Steering Group on Circular Economy & Waste
- National Strategy for Economic Trans Private Investment in Natural Capital Working Group
- Biodegradable Municipal Waste Landfill Programme Board
- Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group
- Biodiversity Programme Stakeholder Engagement Group
- Science Advisory Group for Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
- Deposit Return Scheme Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group
- Deposit Return Scheme Executive Oversight Group
- Deposit Return Scheme Sector-specific Producers and Hospitality Providers Working Group
- Deposit Return Scheme Sector-specific Retailers Working Group
- National Transport Strategy Delivery Board
- National Transport Strategy Business Group
- Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Force
- Shetland Ferry Replacement Task Force
- A83 Taskforce Group
- Forth Bridges Forum
- LEZ Leadership Group
- LEZ Communications Group
- LEZ Consistency Group
- LEZ Enforcement Group
- Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Working Group
- Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Peer Review Group
- A9 Road Safety Group
- Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board
- Road Safety Operational Partnership Group
- Motorcycle safety group
- Three Local Partnership Forums for Road Safety across Scotland (east, west and north)
- The Parking Standards Advisory Group
- The Traffic Regulation Order Review Group
- Scottish Road Research Board
- National strategy for 20mph Working Group
- Road Traffic Fatality Working Group
- Transport Scotland Pavement Forum
- Scottish Traffic Signs Working Group
- Roads for All forum
- The Active Travel Delivery Partners’ Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group
- Mobility as a Service Working Group
- Accessible Travel Steering Group
- Operators Smart Steering Group
- Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
- Bus Taskforce
- Environment and Economy Leaders' Group (EELG)
- Cleaner Air for Scotland 2: Ministerial Group
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government which health facilities have been confirmed to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, following physical inspections of the estate.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19366 on 21 July 2023 in relation to the desktop review and a full list of the 254 properties identified as having two or more characteristics consistent with the presence of RAAC was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 64387). NHS Scotland Assure also published the information on their website on 15 September. An update on progress with the national survey programme, including the list of NHS buildings where RAAC is identified, will also be published by NHS Scotland Assure and each local NHS Board.
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: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) it and (b) its agencies are doing to support Doors Open Days in the Highlands and Islands region.
Answer
The Scottish Government values the impressive work that the Scottish Civic Trust does to coordinate the national Doors Open Days festival each year, which is the largest free heritage festival in Scotland and delivers many benefits by connecting people with their local historic environment. This is why the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development was pleased to provide an opening address for the festival and met with the Scottish Civic Trust recently in-person to discuss the opportunities and challenges the festival offers.
Financial support for the Scottish Civic Trust’s Doors Open Days and My Place Photography Competition has been secured through our lead public body for heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, which has committed over £100,000 each for this and the next two years from its Partnership Fund.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many communities currently have access to 5G services, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
Telecommunications policy is Reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on access to 5G services across Scotland.
However Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker ( https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage ) provides a spatial view of this data. Raw coverage data, at local authority and various Parliamentary constituency levels, is available at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/spring-202
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to take forward the recommendations of the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector, in particular the recommendation that "full consideration should be given to appointing an Independent, non-voting Chair for the [National Joint Negotiating Committee]".
Answer
The Scottish Government is considering options around the appointment of an independent Chair of the National Joint Negotiating Committee.
This must be explored fully, and in partnership with employers and trade unions, to ensure the Scottish Government continues to maintain its position of not intervening directly in the national collective bargaining process.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many communities in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) the Western Isles, (c) the Highlands, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Moray do not have access to (i) 3G and (ii) 4G services.
Answer
Telecommunications policy is Reserved to the UK Government. Therefore the Scottish Government does not collect or hold this data.
Information about the availability of mobile services in Scotland can be accessed through Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker ( https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage ) which provides a spatial view of their data. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report, published annually but refreshed on a quarterly basis, is underpinned by coverage data captured at local authority and Parliamentary constituency levels. This underlying data is publicly available at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/spring-202
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities regarding free breakfast provision in schools.
Answer
Discussions with both COSLA and individual local authorities about breakfast provision have taken place over the last eighteen months. These have covered issues such as existing delivery, and the range of possible delivery models and costs. The Scottish Government is currently working with the local authority facilities management organisation, AssistFM, to develop a clear picture of the scale and uptake of breakfast provision across Scotland.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 3 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any modelling of free breakfast provision in schools.
Answer
There is a currently a mixed delivery of breakfast provision across Scotland with a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We have conducted provisional modelling of breakfast provision and have begun work with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map provision. We are continuing our mapping work which will contribute to more detailed modelling in future.