- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what share of the £350,000 funding to accelerate the distribution of Closed Loop Systems for people with type 1 diabetes was received by each NHS board.
Answer
£350,000 was allocated in 2023 to the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway workstream based at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD). This funding was provided to establish a national onboarding team for closed loop systems, based at NHS Golden Jubilee. Therefore, territorial Boards did not receive any share of the funding.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the (a) membership, (b) terms of reference, (c) work programme and (d) planned outcomes of the Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness.
Answer
The members of the Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness are:
- Paul McLennan MSP, Minister for Housing (chair)
- Elena Whitham, MSP, Minister for Drugs & Alcohol Policy
- Maree Todd, MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport
- Emma Roddick, MSP Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
- Natalie Don, MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise
- Jenni Minto, MSP, Minister for Public Health and Woman’s Health
- Joe Fitzpatrick, MSP, Minster for Local Government and Planning
- Siobhan Brown, MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety
- Patrick Harvie, MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights
- Graeme Dey, MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans
The Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness remit is to bring together ministers from across the Scottish Government to identify the actions required across portfolios to prevent and end homelessness. The group then collectively ensures delivery of these actions. The group provides a space for shared political leadership and enhanced policy links with a view to ensuring everyone has a safe, warm place to call home.
We have published further information on the Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness on the Scottish Government’s website at Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This includes the membership and terms of reference of the group. The Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness has so far had one meeting. The minutes, once available, will also be uploaded to this webpage.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spoken to any farmers whose crops or livestock have been affected by Storm Babet as part of its Storm Babet recovery taskforce, as of 16 November 2023.
Answer
Scottish Government Ministers and officials have been in frequent contact with farmers and farming representatives regarding the impacts of the extreme weather and severe flooding in October, including Storm Babet. I held a roundtable with NFUS and other agricultural representatives following the flooding in early October to gain an overview of the impacts at that stage, and visited an affected farm in Perthshire to meet a range of agricultural representatives. Officials have also been in regular contact with farmers, including through our area officer networks, to understand the impacts of the severe flooding in early October and from Storm Babet across the country.
In the aftermath of Storm Babet, I spoke at the NFUS Autumn Conference on 26th October and confirmed there that we would work with the agricultural sector to bring forward support for the repair of the floodbanks damaged by the extreme rainfall during October that protect our vitally productive farmland. I then spoke with farmers at the AgriScot conference on 22nd November and confirmed that following that engagement with the sector the Scottish Government has now established and funded a scheme for agricultural flood bank repair, with a budget of £1.8 million set aside.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with the UK Government to ensure that the proposed amendments to the UK Renters (Reform) Bill that would make it illegal for landlords and letting agents to apply a blanket ban on renting to people who receive benefits or to families with children can be extended to apply in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been working closely with the UK Government to implement the proposed amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill that would make it illegal for landlords and letting agents to apply a blanket ban on renting to people who receive benefits or to families with children.
It is intended that a further amendment for Scotland will be tabled at the Bill’s Report Stage. This will ensure that an important legislative proposal to benefit renters can commence in Scotland at the same time as England and Wales.
I have notified the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, at the earliest possible opportunity, of my intention for a Legislative Consent Memorandum to be lodged in relation to that amendment, after it has been tabled at Report Stage.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of teachers who (a) participated in and (b) passed probation training for (i) primary schools and (ii) secondary schools, in each year since 2016.
Answer
The numbers of teachers who have participated in the Teacher Induction Scheme since 2016 is provided in the following table:
Year | | Number of probationers as at May allocations |
2016-17 | | 2,965 |
2017-18 | | 3,296 |
2018-19 | | 3,277 |
2019-20 | | 3,566 |
2020-21 | | 3,485 |
2021-22 | | 3,624 |
2022-23 | | 3,461 |
2023-24 | | 3,161 |
The Scottish Government does not hold the information on the number of probationers who passed their probation for (i) primary schools and (ii) secondary schools, in each year since 2016. The General Teaching Council for Scotland would hold this information.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "sustainable agriculture" in relation to the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
In relation to the ARC Bill, these outcomes bear their ordinary meaning.
The Agriculture Reform Route Map published a glossary of terms including an understanding for regenerative agriculture in June this year.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent on its Sperm and Egg Donation Campaign.
Answer
The cost of the most recent national donor gamete campaign delivered in partnership with NHS Scotland is £50,519.60 inclusive of VAT.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Sperm and Egg Donation Campaign, what consideration was given to any potential risk that women who have had a negative experience of egg donation or fertility treatment may be affected by the campaign adverts.
Answer
The Scottish Government consider the impact of messaging on those who may have had a negative experience in relation to the relevant health topic when developing all health related campaigns. This is done in a number of ways including through creative testing and engaging with people with lived experience or stakeholders. In this instance this was carried out through patient representative stakeholders.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "thriving rural communities" in relation to the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23112 on 4 December 2023. 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: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Once for Scotland approach, particularly in relation to improving the delivery of equitable stoma care services across Scotland.
Answer
As part of the recently concluded information gathering exercise on the provision of stoma care and stoma specialist nurse coverage across Scotland's 14 territorial health boards, all boards supplied information on the stoma services that they provide, particularly with regard to care for stoma patients once they return home after their surgery. This information will be a key element of the consideration by the Scottish Executive Nurse Directors (SEND) of the results of the exercise.