- Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to fund the refurbishment of playparks, how many of these are located in the Rutherglen constituency, and how much it will cost to refurbish these.
Answer
The Scottish Government is investing £60 million to renew play parks in Scotland, so children have access to free, high-quality outdoor play in their own communities. We have already committed £35 million since May 2021. The funding is distributed to local authority partners to manage play park renewals based on local needs and priorities.
The allocation per year for South Lanarkshire is:
Local Authority | Allocation for 2021-22 | Allocation for 2022-23 | Allocation for 2023-24 | Allocation for 2024-25 |
South Lanarkshire Council | £298,000 | £296,000 | £597,000 | £896,000 |
The Scottish Government does not hold play park information by constituency. Local authorities report annually every April on the number of play parks that they have renewed. Local authority partners have confirmed that all funding provided to date is allocated to the current and future renewal of play parks that have been identified by the local authority in need of improvement. To date, the figures reported for South Lanarkshire are:
Local Authority | Play parks renewed in 2021-22 | Play parks renewed in 2022-23 | Play parks renewed in 2023-24 |
South Lanarkshire Council | 0 | 0 | 12 |
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support alcohol-related brain damage services, in light of Public Heath Scotland data reportedly stating that there were over 1,000 more alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2024, compared with 2023.
Answer
The Scottish Government provides local services with support through funding to ensure care is available for alcohol-related brain damage though a range of social care, healthcare community and residential services. The Scottish Government remains committed to doing all it can to reduce harm caused by alcohol through any of these support services.
The UK’s first Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment will be published shortly and will include guidance for services on care for those with alcohol-related brain damage, supporting the wider improvement of alcohol treatment across Scotland.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what penalties have been imposed as a result of Food Standards Scotland investigations into food fraud.
Answer
Since 2018, FSS investigations into food fraud have resulted in varying penalties being imposed including imprisonment and fines. One sentence of 4 years imprisonment was imposed with the sentence reduced to three years on appeal. in relation to the supply of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to the public. The sentence was reduced to three years on appeal. A proceeds of Crime Confiscation Order was imposed for £31050.
3 offences under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 at Food Standards Scotland (FSS) approved premises and fined a total of £4,000 with £175 surcharge.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what policies are in place to determine when external legal counsel is used instead of its in-house legal expertise.
Answer
As Scottish Government functions have increased and matured, the volume and complexity of outsourced legal work has also evolved. This work is procured and we are now utilising the third iteration of a framework providing Legal Services to the Scottish Government and the wider public sector. The current Legal Services Framework is divided into 6 Lots by subject matter:
Lot 1: Contracts, Commercial and Corporate
Lot 2: Debt Recovery
Lot 3: Litigation, Reparation, Employment and Inquiries
Lot 4: Major Infrastructure and Commercial Projects (and related litigation)
Lot 5: Property and Related Matters
Lot 6: One Stop Shop.
The use of external legal counsel via the framework depends on the nature of the particular matter in question and whether our in-house legal team has the capacity to undertake the work and/or whether they have any specialist expertise that may be required.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the True North survey reportedly finding that less than a quarter of respondents in Scotland believe that the windfall tax is achieving its aim of reducing household bills.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the windfall tax. The oil and gas fiscal regime - including the Energy Profits Levy or "windfall tax" - are wholly reserved to the UK Government, as are decisions on how to spend the revenues raised.
- Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide an update to the paper, Decarbonising Scotland’s Industrial Sectors and Sites, published in April 2019.
Answer
Policies to support the decarbonisation of Scotland’s manufacturing base will be summarised in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan which is being informed by discussion with representatives from key industrial sectors.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34287 by Neil Gray on 27 January 2025, whether the commitments on increasing capacity for appointments relate to, or replace, the targets in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 for additional inpatient and day case activity, and outpatient activity.
Answer
Further detail will be published in the Operational Improvement Plan in March, as committed to in the answer to the GIQ (S6W-34287)
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: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of the new methodology for determining peat depth to inform maps submitted as part of an application to make muirburn under licence, and what the timescale is for its completion.
Answer
The peat depth methodology has been developed and NatureScot is aiming to publish it shortly. In support of this NatureScot have also made a map indicating areas likely to be peatland, non-peatland and areas of uncertainty available on their website.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) contributes to its efforts to reduce road freight traffic, and what impact this has had on (a) road congestion and (b) air quality.
Answer
Since 1997, Freight Facilities Grants have removed over 50 million lorry miles from Scotland's roads. The exact impact on road congestion and air quality of each project cannot be confidently described due to the effect of other local influences on transport demand.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many signs are located along the (a) A82, (b) A828, (c) A83, (d) A835, (e) A85, (f) A86, (g) A87, (h) A887, (i) A889, (j) A9, (k) A95, (l) A96 and (m) A99, and what proportion does not meet current standards for visibility and effectiveness, broken down by Category (i) 1 and (ii) 2 defects.
Answer
Category 1 defects are defined within the term maintenance contract as those that present, or could present, an immediate hazard to trunk road users. They are typically detected during the twice weekly driven safety related inspections. Category 2 defects are defined as those which do not present an immediate hazard to road users and are typically identified during walked annual inspections.
The following table contains the number of signs on the routes requested along with the number of signs with open defects of all types as at 12 February 2025.
| Number of signs | Category 1 defects | Category 2 defects |
A82 | 5517 | 17 | 1600 |
A828 | 971 | 3 | 87 |
A83 | 2050 | 9 | 711 |
A835 | 1033 | 0 | 239 |
A85 | 3028 | 2 | 958 |
A86 | 1545 | 2 | 339 |
A87 | 2341 | 3 | 481 |
A887 | 188 | 0 | 67 |
A889 | 289 | 0 | 153 |
A9 | 6062 | 18 | 1374 |
A95 | 1157 | 0 | 84 |
A96 | 3064 | 18 | 274 |
A99 | 430 | 2 | 63 |