- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been provided with any evaluation reports of the specialist domestic abuse courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and, if so, whether it will publish these.
Answer
An independent Evaluation of the Pilot Domestic Abuse Court in Glasgow was undertaken by Reid Howie Associates and published on the Scottish Government’s website at the time. It is available; at; https://web.archive.org/web/20130205035916/http:/www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/173485/0048418.pdf
The report is also referred to in a letter from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service which was published on the Criminal Justice Committee’s page on Scottish Parliament’s Website at Criminal Justice Committee Evidence Session 8 December 2021 Further Evidence | Scottish Parliament Website
There is no evaluation report for Edinburgh.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many ovarian cancer patients have self-funded related surgery, such as a hysterectomy, in each of the last five years, and whether there are any NHS board inequalities regarding the NHS funding private treatment.
Answer
This information is not held centrally within the Scottish Government.
Any arrangements for NHS patients to be treated at an Independent Sector hospital would need to be made between the patient, NHS Board and their clinical team.
While a patient has the right, at any time, to exercise choice and seek private treatment, there can never be the expectation that the NHS will pay for it. The reimbursement of any costs incurred when a patient opts for private treatment, however, is a matter for consideration by the local Health Board.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the health and safety risk of nitrous oxide canisters being found in Material Recycling Facilities and Energy from Waste plants.
Answer
The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum develops and promotes health and safety guidance for the waste management industry with input from industry experts and other bodies, such as the Health and Safety Executive.
Existing WISH guidance offers advice on eliminating or reducing the risk of serious injury associated with the handling, storage and disposal of unwanted or unidentifiable gas cylinders (‘orphaned’ cylinders) that may appear in the waste stream.
WISH has also advised that it is developing new guidance on how Material Recovery Facilities can address the dangers of gas cylinder and aerosol explosions.
Following discussion at the Waste and Resources Sector Forum, waste sector stakeholders are considering any other actions that could be taken to address key fire safety risks. We will continue to work closely with the sector to consider any further actions required to ensure safe recycling and disposal of nitrous oxide canisters.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the latest expected opening dates are for each of the remaining National Treatment Centres, and what the most recent projected costs are for each.
Answer
NTC Forth Valley will open in summer 2023 at a projected cost of £12.7 million.
NTC Golden Jubilee Phase 2 - will open in winter 2023 at a projected costs of £82.3 million.
The business cases for the remaining National Treatment Centre in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Tayside, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian, including the new Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, are under development and costs/opening dates will be confirmed when final business cases are submitted.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Peterborough's model for becoming a circular city by 2050 and its potential application to local authority areas in Scotland.
Answer
While we have not made any direct assessment of the Peterborough model, Zero Waste Scotland has engaged with Peterborough City Council in the past and has since explored a number of regional strategies and approaches to help inform their work to support cities and regions to adopt circular economy principles.
Zero Waste Scotland recently developed a framework for local authorities. The framework has been produced to help local authorities embed circular economy into their own operations, their wider cities, districts and regions and to deliver circular opportunities and benefits. It draws together experience, knowledge and learning from Scotland as well as other organisations and locations.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many times the former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care made official visits to NHS hospitals in each year since his appointment in May 2021.
Answer
Ministerial engagements (including official visits), overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received are published on the Scottish Government website at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ in line with the terms of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments made by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee on 20 March 2023 that “I and my office decline more invitations to attend international events than I accept”, whether it can confirm the number of any such invitations that have been (a) received, (b) accepted and (c) declined since May 2021.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2022, what action VisitScotland is taking to promote tourism in the islands.
Answer
As part of their core activity VisitScotland promotes tourism in Scotland’s island destinations across their marketing, PR, destination development and support for tourism businesses.
April is Islands month as part of VisitScotland’s marketing calendar with a focus on three key messages of: Scotland’s islands are stunning throughout the year; Scotland’s islands have their own unique way of life; and Our islands feel remote but are easily accessible.
They are supporting and leading on campaigns which include: Arran; Cumbrae; Argyll islands; Skye; Outer Hebrides; and Orkney and Shetland. VisitScotland is also a key partner in the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project.
Island destinations were represented at VisitScotland’s recent flagship Connect trade event in Aberdeen, which connects Scottish product with international buyers. Destination Marketing Organisations included VisitArran and Argyll & Isles Tourism Cooperative and CalMac and Northlink also attended the event.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will put in place to encourage consumers to dispose of nitrous oxide canisters responsibly.
Answer
A range of information and advice is available from Zero Waste Scotland and local authorities to help consumers recycle and dispose of waste responsibly, including gas canisters. Householders can seek specific advice from their local authority on recycling and disposal options in their local area.
Nitrous oxide canisters should not be disposed of in residual waste (‘black bag’) bins as they may explode if they are crushed, increasing the risk of injury or fire. Consumers of nitrous oxide canisters should follow advice provided by suppliers or contact their local authority to check that these items are accepted at their nearest Household Recycling Centre, where gas canisters can be safely stored and disposed of by a specialist waste contractor that has the facility to recycle them safely.
We will continue to work closely with the waste sector to consider any further advice required to support safe disposal of nitrous oxide canisters.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it permitted the Solicitor General to travel to (a) Mauritius and (b) Italy, in 2022, at a reported total cost of £7,228.
Answer
To help bring benefits to the people of Scotland.
The Solicitor General attended the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Mauritius in November 2022 as part of the UK delegation, led by Justice Minister Mike Freer, to raise and maintain Scotland’s profile and share best practice with Commonwealth Law Ministers regarding issues being faced by legal systems and the importance of the rule of law.
The Solicitor General also attended the European Conference of Prosecutors that was organised between the Council of Europe, the Italian Ministry of Justice and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation held in Palermo in May 2022. The conference brought together high-level prosecutors from all Council of Europe member states to share their perspectives and challenges concerning the independence and accountability of public prosecutors, while taking into account the existing systems rooted in different legal cultures.