- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to expand routes into nursing studies.
Answer
The Scottish Government alongside a wide range of stakeholders including health and social care partners, NHS Education for Scotland, Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and Skills Development Scotland, is taking forward work to develop alternative career pathways into nursing including potential apprenticeship models and other ‘earn as you learn’ routes. These pathways have the potential to widen access into the profession to those individuals wishing to pursue a career in nursing but may not choose the undergraduate route and to those individuals already employed in NHS Boards or the care home sector, allowing people to study and work at the same time whilst accessing education to progress their career. We already know that many Healthcare Support Workers are seeking career progression and some have entered the second year of an undergraduate programme after being supported by their employer and the Scottish Government to complete an HNC whilst working. We are exploring what more can be done to showcase these routes for existing staff whilst also attracting new employees to our NHS by enabling them to understand the opportunities available to develop and progress towards registered roles.
NHS Lothian are currently piloting a traineeship approach with HEI partners for new staff and early indications show high levels of interest and staff retention.
- Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government has today published its Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland which can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781805255802 .The Violence Prevention Framework is one of the actions to help deliver the aims of the Vision for Justice in Scotland, published in 2022.
Supported by evidence on the context and drivers of violence, and interventions to prevent and reduce violence, the Framework includes priority aims and actions we will collectively take forward with partner organisations. The Framework aims to reduce the number of victims of violence and to target support and interventions for those most at risk of violence to stop the repeated cycle of harm to individuals, families and communities.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that plastic waste collected through the Deposit Return Scheme is not exported outwith Scotland, in accordance with its acceptance of recommendation 18 of Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury? Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland, Second Report: Decarbonisation of Residual Waste Infrastructure in Scotland.
Answer
There are no regulations to specifically prevent the export of waste collected through DRS. Waste will be channelled to appropriate recycling facilities. Decisions on appropriate recycling facilities are made by Circularity Scotland in delivering the scheme As stated in our response to the second report, the Scottish Government accepts recommendation 18. We want to be able to manage more of our own waste within Scotland and strengthen public confidence in where their recycling goes.
The DRS is expected to improve the quality of collected materials, resulting in high value recyclate that will incentive investment in reprocessing infrastructure in Scotland to handle material, and for drinks producers to return it to food-grade plastics rather than export for other purposes.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what increase in waste reprocessing capacity has been funded through the Recycling Improvement Fund, broken down by (a) project, (b) capacity increase and (c) funding provided.
Answer
RIF funding awards are predominantly still at planning or early implementation stages and there has therefore not yet been an evaluation of the impact of the projects in terms of waste reprocessing capacity (or increased collection for recycling). Information is currently available relating to two projects.
Project | Capacity increase (tonnes, estimated) | Funding provided |
Fife Council TOMRA plastic film sorting equipment, allowing collection of film from all households in Fife. | 2,733 | £0.4M |
North Ayrshire Council. Mattress cleaning equipment to allow for mattress reuse/recycling. | 220 | £0.07M |
The most current official waste data from SEPA is 2021, before RIF funding awards began and provides a baseline for future impact evaluation.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish details of its consideration of how to include biogenic carbon in future research publications.
Answer
In 2021, Scottish Government published the Strategy for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research, which has formed the basis for the Strategic Research Programme 2022-2027 and includes consideration of biogenic carbon. Scottish Government has not undertaken specific consideration of how to include biogenic carbon in future research publications and has no plans to publish on the matter, given its consideration within the Strategic Research Programme.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that its statutory environmental and forestry agencies are sufficiently resourced to deliver and support effective invasive species control programs to help protect Scotland's native biodiversity and commercial forestry sector.
Answer
Invasive non-native species (INNS) are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. They require a strong partnership approach over the long term to ensure their effective control.
The draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy contains a Priority Action to ‘Implement a Scottish Plan for invasive non-native species surveillance, prevention and control’. This Plan will be produced in collaboration with public bodies and other stakeholders, and will identify detailed actions and targets.
Public bodies will continue to produce operational business plans which set out their priorities and plans to address invasive species. The Scottish Government will continue to provide support to tackling invasive species. The Nature restoration Fund recently provided £2 million to the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative . In 2022-23 Forestry and Land Scotland received £1.3 m for rhododendron control. This is targeted at long-term control at landscape scale in collaboration with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest and other land managers.
In the new draft Biodiversity Strategy, we are committed to developing a Biodiversity Investment Plan to mobilise public, private and philanthropic funds to close the estimated £8 billion finance gap over the coming decade identified by the Green Finance Institute as required for biodiversity restoration in Scotland. This is in line with the Global Biodiversity Framework Target 19, which recognises the need for ongoing blended funding to restore biodiversity from a range of sources, including green investment.
- Our Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital set out our aim to develop markets that also deliver benefits for local communities and wider society, in line with Scotland’s Just Transition principles and land reform objectives.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent on relocation payments to Police Scotland employees in each year since 2017.
Answer
Recruitment and deployment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable and therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. It is important that the Chief Constable has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to the challenges he faces by ensuring the right workforce mix and ensure that the right people are in the right place to support the needs of the communities they serve.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the options appraisal regarding justice services in the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill will be completed.
Answer
The options appraisal on the possible inclusion of justice social work services within a future National Care Service is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. The completion date may change should Parliament approve the Scottish Government’s request to extend Stage 1 of the National Care (Scotland) Bill beyond June of this year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it can provide to parents and carers who are struggling to afford nappies and infant feed, in light of recent reports regarding nappy need, difficulties in accessing baby formula at foodbanks and families with young children being forced to cut back on essentials.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2023
- Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether orthopaedic appointments and surgeries, when they do not require the use of general anaesthetic, should be carried out in local community hospitals.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2023