- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its cooperation agreement with the Scottish Green Party, what its position is on Catholic schools, and whether it plans to review this.
Answer
The Scottish Government values the positive contribution made by Catholic schools and there are no plans to review the important role they play in the Scottish education system and wider society.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19003 by Jeane Freeman on 11 October 2018, by what date it will publish the national falls and fracture prevention strategy.
Answer
The consultation on the draft National Falls and Fractures Strategy closed on 30 September 2019. Analysis of the responses highlighted a disparate range of views, expectations and desired outcomes from a strategy including feedback that a separate strategy may not be the best mechanism to achieve improvement in this area.
The review of the strategy was subsequently delayed due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into account the changed landscape, officials are currently considering the comments received, including how and where they align with the shared ambitions for our new health and social care strategy for older people.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00480 by Jamie Hepburn on 14 June 2021, when it last met the Scottish Funding Council to discuss the (a) International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition and (b) low uptake of universities adopting this.
Answer
The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council meet regularly to discuss a range of matters, including equalities issues.
Universities, as autonomous institutions, are aware of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Many are actively and presently consulting within their diverse communities and stakeholder interests on the definition, with three (University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and Abertay University) having adopted it to date. Universities UK is working with the Union of Jewish Students to raise awareness and understanding of antisemitism and to share best practice in tackling and eliminating it.
The Scottish Government continues to work with universities and the Scottish Funding Council to tackle racism and antisemitism.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray, whether there will be an application process to receive funding; if so, how the application process will work; how decisions to allocate funding will be taken, and by whom.
Answer
We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.
The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set for the uptake of naloxone kits, made available to the public.
Answer
We believe that Naloxone should be available to anyone who might witness an overdose. Our overall aim is to widen the access to it as much as possible.
Since the inception of the NNP the Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to report on take-home naloxone (THN) kit distribution using monitoring data supplied by NHS Boards, this report is produced quarterly. The last report (covering 1 January to 31 March 2021) stated that coverage was now estimated to be 57.47% (an increase of around 1.5% compared to the previous quarter – 56.04%).
International evidence suggests that focus should not only be on the distribution but also on encouraging carriage and accessibility of Naloxone.
To improve awareness of naloxone, and to ensure people would recognise the signs of a drug overdose, we launched a nationwide marketing campaign on International Overdose Awareness Day (31 August), in partnership with Scottish Drugs Forum.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01134 by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021, whether it will provide an update on its position regarding the Island Communities Impact Assessment on Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s (HIAL) Air Traffic Management 2030 Strategy, and whether ministers now plan to discuss the outcomes of the impact assessment with HIAL.
Answer
Modernisation and investment in Air Traffic Control is essential if we are to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable air services for the future in the Highlands and Islands. Ongoing implementation of the Air Traffic Management 2030 Strategy, including potential mitigation measures arising from consideration of the Islands Communities Impact Assessment, remains an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the National Partnership for Culture has made in establishing a measuring change group "to inform progress towards realising the national outcome for culture and the delivery of the culture strategy", as set out in the 2020 Culture Strategy for Scotland.
Answer
The National Partnership for Culture established a Measuring Change Group in August 2020. The Group has met on several occasions since then, most recently in August 2021.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area have received support from the Arts Alive programme.
Answer
The Arts Alive programme delivered a digital programme from the period of April-June 2021 which consisted of 3 residencies. The remaining residencies and school sessions, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be delivered in September-December 2021, as requested by schools.
The programme was delivered over 3 schools (see the following table)
School | Local Authority Area | Children and young people supported by the programme |
Corseford Additional Support Needs School | Renfrewshire | 8 |
St Pauls Primary School | South Lanarkshire | 120 |
The Mintlaw network (cluster of 11 primary schools) | Aberdeenshire | 200 |
As well as children and young people the 3 residencies delivered from April-June 2021 supported an estimated 20-25 learning professionals and provided an opportunity for 6 artists.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of employees of (a) the National Theatre of Scotland, (b) the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, (c) Scottish Ballet, (d) the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, (e) Scottish Opera and (f) Creative Scotland are paid the National Living Wage.
Answer
All employees of Scotland’s National Performing Companies, which the Scottish Government funds directly and includes (a) the National Theatre of Scotland, (b) the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, (c) Scottish Ballet, (d) the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, (e) Scottish Opera and (f) Creative Scotland are paid at least or more than the National Living Wage.
- Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 22 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for workers in charitable organisations who might face threats and aggression from members of the public when carrying out their duties.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that violence of any kind is totally unacceptable. Every person has the right to feel safe and protected from abuse and violence regardless of where they work and we encourage anyone who experiences violence or abuse to report it to the Police.
Scotland’s Justice system provides protection for all workers, with various criminal laws that protect everyone from threats or aggression including all those working in the charity sector. In addition, there are specific laws in place such as the recent Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 which can offer separate protection for charity workers who specifically work selling goods.
Alongside the protections offered by the law, the Scottish Government would encourage charities to have policies and support in place to help maximise the protection afforded to all staff.