- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there are no compulsory redundancies within the college sector.
Answer
Operational decisions on pay and staffing matters are the responsibility of individual colleges.
The Scottish Government expects every effort to be made, in consultation with trade unions, to protect jobs. The Scottish Government has been clear that compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options have been fully explored in collaboration with trade unions.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an estimate of how many jobs in (a) wind turbine manufacturing and (b) the supply-chain based in Scotland will be provided by the recently announced Green Volt project.
Answer
Consenting of GreenVolt, one of the largest floating offshore wind farms in Europe, is a significant milestone which will secure Scotland’s place at the forefront of floating wind technology.
Green Volt’s recently published Supply Chain Development Statement Outlook indicates that the project is estimated to create over 2800 direct jobs during construction and around 100 jobs during the operational phase.
An estimate for wind turbine manufacturing jobs cannot currently be provided. However, Green Volt has committed to spend £350 million in Scotland in the manufacturing phase.
As Scotland’s renewable energy industry continues to grow and thrive we will continue to see new and increased opportunities for job creation across Scotland. We are determined to maximise the economic benefits from offshore wind projects in Scottish waters, which will support the creation of new sustainable jobs across the country.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a new Smart Ticketing Delivery Strategy prior to July 2024.
Answer
The Scottish Government is refreshing its Smart Delivery Strategy, outlining its programme of work and strategy for enhancing smart, integrated ticketing and payments, and digital travel data over the next 5-10 years.
The strategy is being developed through a collaborative process with stakeholders and the public and is currently taking into account the development of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board’s first work programme. The strategy is also taking into account the significant progress and technological development of smart ticketing since the previous publication in 2018, including the increased use of digital platforms and contactless payment across the network, reflecting the public’s increasing desire for contactless and digital payments and ticketing.
Following publication of the Fair Fares Review and announcement of the Scottish Government’s intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport, the strategy will progress through the finalisation and approval process to be published in 2024.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the (a) Interministerial Standing Committee and (b) Finance Interministerial Standing Committee.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.
We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the Interministerial Group on Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.
We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Government Council.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.
We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local businesses, in light of any customer behavioural changes resulting from road closures caused by renewables developments.
Answer
Road closures on the local road network are the responsibility of the local authority in that area. They have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.
Local businesses can provide views as part of the planning application process, including comments on transport and traffic considerations and their impacts. If an application is approved, where appropriate, a condition of consent can require a finalised traffic management plan to be approved with the local planning authority and, where required, in consultation with other relevant bodies (such as Transport Scotland).
Other conditions may be imposed requiring developers to set up a community liaison group to assist with the provision of mitigation measures etc. It can be the case that the development is not permitted to commence construction until this group is established and the terms of engagement are signed off by the planning authority.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the registration record of all NHS staff, irrespective of job title, is checked on an ongoing basis in regard to (a) Health and Care Professionals Council, (b) Social Work England, (c) Social Care Wales, (d) Northern Ireland Social Care Council, (e) General Teaching Council for Scotland, (f) General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland, (g) Education Workforce Council, (h) General Chiropractic Council, (i) General Dental Council, (j) General Medical Council, (k) General Optical Council, (l) General Osteopathic Council, (m) Nursing and Midwifery Council, (n) General Pharmaceutical Council and (o) Scottish Social Services Council.
Answer
Within NHSScotland, the duty to maintain registration rests with the healthcare professional. Health Boards must ensure that mechanisms are in place to check the ongoing registration of staff and thereby prevent the risk of staff whose registration has lapsed, been lost or suspended continuing to practise in a role which requires such professional registration.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether any public bodies in Scotland currently use physical record keeping as their only means of information storage.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This would be a matter for individual public bodies.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it stating that the UK Government is responsible for the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland not proceeding, which will reportedly result in an estimated loss of £9 million of public funding, whether, following the completion of the liquidation of Circularity Scotland, it will attempt to recover any such losses from the UK Government.
Answer
Operational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.
It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to recover losses resulting from investments made by the Scottish National Investment Bank. This would be a matter for the Bank.