- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that projects funded through the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) align with its (a) economic, (b) environmental and (c) transport strategy.
Answer
Taking freight off congested roads and moving it by rail or water can ensure that freight is moved in an efficient, flexible and sustainable manner. Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) can act as an enabler for companies investing in facilities that without FFG, would not happen as they would not be commercially viable
Heavy goods vehicles are a major contributor to emissions within the Scottish economy. Emissions from rail are considerably lower. Scottish Government policy to encourage the shift of freight from road to rail and other, more sustainable forms of transport aligns with the priority to “take climate action” in the National Transport Strategy 2 and supports the legislative target for Scotland to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
The Scottish Government has set regulatory targets for rail freight growth. The target for the period 2024 to 2029 is 8.7% and, if achieved, is forecast to result in an additional 2,200 annual trains by 2029.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of applicants to the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and what specific support is provided to ensure SMEs can access this funding.
Answer
Freight Facilities Grants are open to any company, including SMEs, who can demonstrate that they can transfer freight from road to rail or water.
SMEs represent the minority of awards made under the scheme. However, Transport Scotland officials are available to discuss proposals and provide advice about what information should be included in an application and what evidence is required prior to any formal decision being made on awarding a grant.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding from the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) has been directed to initiatives promoting the use of low-carbon or zero-emission freight transport solutions.
Answer
To date, no applications under Freight Facilities Grant have been received specifically promoting low carbon or zero emission solutions. However, the movement of freight by rail rather than road, especially over long distances, can result in lower emissions.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) has been used to support the integration of digital technologies in freight transport and, if so, which projects have received this support.
Answer
To date, no applicant has sought to include within an award of Freight Facilities Grant the integration of digital technologies as a specific element of a funded project.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps Food Standards Scotland is taking to address the safety and labelling of plant-based and alternative protein products.
Answer
The Food Information to Consumers Regulation 1169/2011 sets mandatory food labelling requirements such as a list of ingredients, allergen information and that information must be accurate and not mislead the consumer, which apply to most prepacked foods including plant-based foods. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) recognises that plant-based foods have become more popular recently and are therefore considering the need for updating guidance to support labelling practices in this area.
Where plant-based and alternative protein products fall under the Regulated products remit, they will go through rigorous pre-market safety and risk analysis before sale in Scotland and across GB. The results of this analysis will inform FSS' risk management recommendations to Scottish Ministers, which may include additional labelling requirements for these products.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for approving and authorising legal costs for current or former ministers, and how this is monitored to ensure value for money.
Answer
As with all decisions on the use of public funding the authorisation to meet costs would be cleared at the appropriate level within the organisation.
Accountable Officers are in place to ensure that public money is used efficiently and effectively in line with guidance published in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM). The SPFM provides guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on holding a social media age-use ban similar to that introduced in Australia, and whether it has carried out an analysis of the potential benefits and challenges of such a measure.
Answer
We recognise that online platforms, including social media, can have both positive and negative impacts on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and that support must be in place to help children use social media in a healthy and balanced way. It is important to note that regulation of the internet is a reserved matter to the UK Government, however we have previously successfully engaged on its Online Safety Act to strengthen protections for young people.
We will continue to explore opportunities to work with the UK Government on this important issue, whilst also taking action here in Scotland. For example, since 2020 we have invested over £400,000 to support young people to navigate online spaces and use screen time in a safe way and help parents and carers to ensure they have the information to guide young people and recognise risks.
The Young Scot ‘Aye Feel’ online hub, the ‘Mind Yer Time’ resource, and ‘Digi Know’ features, address social media usage amongst children and young people to help them navigate online spaces, ensure websites are reliable, and use screen time in a healthy and positive way. Our Parent Club national resource for parents also has information and advice to support parents to manage children’s screen time and have informed conversations with their child about screen time, social media and internet use. In addition, we have recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools.
Earlier this year the First Minister announced a Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce. The Taskforce will provide oversight and direction to work across Scottish Government and identify what more can be done to protect children and young people from online harm within the limits of devolution.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the work it will do to ensure that there is consistent, sustainable provision of taster sessions across health and social care so that people across many different backgrounds can experience nursing and midwifery, and whether it will clarify what work it will do to ensure that these sessions will help people to experience roles in remote and rural areas as well as support access to these roles.
Answer
As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.
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: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that nurses and midwives can access sustainable and progressive opportunities to influence policy, practice, national and local strategy to achieve change, as it committed to in the recommended actions of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce.
Answer
As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.
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: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin developing the new entry routes into nursing and midwifery with dedicated funding for them, as outlined in the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce recommendations.
Answer
As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.
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
