- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances and support it will offer to any GP contractors coming to the end of third-party leases, who are reportedly unable to assign their leases to NHS boards through no fault of their own and feel pressured into signing new leases against Scottish Government advice.
Answer
NHS Boards are responsible for implementing the National Code of Practice for GP premises.
The NHSScotland National Primary Care (GP) Premises Group has been set up to consider all matters relating to GP Premises including:
- Oversight of the implementation of the Code of Practice for GP Premises.
- Implementation of GP Sustainability Loans.
- Consideration and review of available guidance.
- Consideration of appropriate schedules of accommodation within Primary Care premises, and specifically that of General Practice occupied areas and how this may affect reimbursement.
- Provide a platform for the Scottish Government to present papers/proposals to the group.
- Provide a platform for the BMA to present papers to the group.
- Provide a platform for the NHS Boards to present papers to the group.
- Ensure the Rent Review Process is consistent and supports the intent of the GP contract where required.
- Standardise approaches, e.g. standardise leases across Scotland.
Health Boards are represented on a regional basis alongside the BMA, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders.
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government which health and social care projects will receive capital funding from the additional capital spending allocation of £81.1 million in the NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care budget as outlined in the Scottish Budget 2024-25.
Answer
This settlement allows all major projects in construction to be completed. The major projects are Baird and Anchor Hospital in Aberdeen, Parkhead Health Centre in Glasgow, QEUH rectification works and Jubilee Phase 2. The budget also provides the means to continue to support the national replacement programmes for ambulances, radiotherapy equipment and digital replacement.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the latest position is of the four-day working week public sector pilot, as outlined in its Programme for Government.
Answer
The Scottish Government can confirm today work has commenced on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.
We have appointed Autonomy as our expert partner to support the pilot. The team involved in this project have previous 4 Day Working Week pilot experience including from the Valencian Government pilot, and the Icelandic public sector pilot.
The South of Scotland Enterprise 4 Day Working Week pathfinder work is being folded into Autonomy’s methodology, and engagement will continue with other public bodies interested in participating in the 32-hour working week pilot.
Autonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week. This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by George Adam on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many official visits the First Minister has undertaken in Scotland in each year since 16 May 2007, broken down by parliamentary (a) constituency and (b) region.
Answer
Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ .
Visits are not recorded by parliamentary or constituency region.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-02933 by Christina McKelvie on 10 January 2024, whether it has set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites where access has been restricted, following the conclusion of Historic Environment Scotland’s inspection programme at the end of March 2024.
Answer
Further to my response to the question S60-02933 on 10 January 2024, I have not set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites affected by high level masonry issues. Historic Environment Scotland continues to put the health and safety of individuals first and will continue reopening sites when safe to do so.
Details of the inspection programme and site reopening's are published on the Historic Environment Scotland website: High Level Masonry Inspections | Historic Environment Scotland . Indeed the member will be pleased to note that the website currently advises that Bothwell Castle in her constituency is due to reopen for Easter 2024.
I will continue to engage with Historic Environment Scotland on the inspection programme and the reopening of sites affected.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what procurement procedure was followed by the Scottish Housing Regulator to determine its statutory managers list.
Answer
This is a matter for the independent Scottish Housing Regulator to determine. The SHR has published information about the application process for statutory managers ( Statutory Manager List - Application pack | Scottish Housing Regulator ).
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that bus travel is affordable for fare-paying passengers travelling to access employment, education and training.
Answer
The bus system was re-regulated by the UK Government in the 1980s and is primarily operated by private bus operators. The Scottish Government continues to support the bus industry through the Network Support Grant. The purpose of the financial support provided is to help to keep services more extensive and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23928 by Jenni Minto on 3 January 2024, when it plans to bring forward secondary legislation to enable the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Answer
The secondary legislation to enable HIS to regulate independent healthcare services, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from premises other than registered pharmacies and/or outwith the terms of NHS contracts, will be brought forward by the end of Summer 2024.
The scoping of further regulation of non-surgical cosmetics procedures, including consideration of the level of training required to perform these procedures, is underway.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the scale of fare evasion on ScotRail services.
Answer
This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to develop an inventory of living heritage, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been a vocal supporter in recognising the intrinsic value of our Intangible Cultural Heritage and is pleased that Scotland already has an online inventory at https://ichscotland.org/ with ongoing collaborative work continuing between Museums Galleries Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Creative Scotland.
With the UK Government’s notified intention to ratify the UNESCO convention for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, the Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to develop methods to incorporate Scottish entries into a Scottish list and a UK wide list.