- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement measures are in place to address road traffic offences on each trunk road, including any specific measures on the A90 and its section north of Dundee.
Answer
Enforcement of road traffic offences is the independent responsibility of Police Scotland. Alongside general enforcement activity by Police Scotland, there is also the operation of safety cameras in some stretches of trunk roads.
The Scottish Safety Camera Programme supports enforcement through national operational prioritisation and deployment of safety camera resources in accordance with the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Handbook. Safety Camera enforcement locations can be found at Safety Camera Locations — Police Scotland Safety Cameras.
Average speed cameras on the A90 became operational over a 51 mile stretch between Dundee-Stonehaven in Oct 2017, including 15 cameras in each direction. Prior to their installation 3 in 5 drivers were exceeding the speed limit on the A90, that is now 1 in 100.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure transparency in the use of public funds for media training.
Answer
Since 2016, all media training has been carried out internally by staff in the Scottish Government Communications Division at no additional cost. Through the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, all requests for information related to media training, including expenditure, are published on the Scottish Government’s website. Executive Agencies are responsible for their own training provision and information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it plans to do to tackle the reported rising number of uterine cancer diagnoses.
Answer
The rise in reported number of uterine cancer diagnoses can largely be attributed to an increasing ageing population and is in-line with a long-term trend of increasing number of uterine cancer diagnoses over time. It is encouraging to see that the majority of cases diagnosed in Scotland (64%) were found at the earliest stage (Stage I) where there is a greater chance of positive outcomes.
Obesity is one of the single largest modifiable risk factors for uterine cancer. We have published our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan setting out ambitious and wide-ranging actions to deliver our vision of a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight, reducing their cancer risk.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline a timetable for the cancer strategy for children and young people beyond the current strategy’s designated period, which ends in 2026.
Answer
The implementation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026 is managed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) into 2026. Scottish Government is working with the MSN CYPC to consider the development of any future children and young people’s national cancer strategy approach required ahead of the strategy end date in 2026.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking through its draft Budget 2025-26 to increase local access to thrombectomy for people who have had a stroke in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer
The delivery of a national thrombectomy service has already received over £38m of investment. Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and Galloway Community Hospital are both now able to refer suitable patients for thrombectomy procedures.
We have recently provided funding for thrombectomy nurse posts in spoke sites with high rates of ischaemic stroke, including in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and this will support maximising access to thrombectomy across Scotland.
Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, once scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how often cat’s eyes are inspected and tested on (a) the A90 in the (i) section north of Dundee and (ii) other sections and (b) other trunk roads.
Answer
Road studs (cat's eyes) are inspected 6 monthly on all Trunk Roads within the North East Unit, including the A90. This is in addition to safety inspections.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures value for money regarding hospitality provision for visitors to its buildings.
Answer
As part of wider catering provision in Scottish Government buildings, a catering contract is in-place to ensure value for money for taxpayers. In-line with Scottish Government spending controls, visitor hospitality is only provided in limited circumstances.
Robust contract management arrangements are in place and this includes an annual review of tariffs and costs which are scrutinised by an independent catering specialist to ensure costs are in-line with industry standards and the Consumer Price Index.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33011 by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025, what oversight or guidance it provides to railway station owners and operators to ensure the safety of passengers and staff, and how it monitors the effectiveness of these measures.
Answer
Railway safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government and responsibility for this lies with Office of Rail and Road who provides guidance to railway operators.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the national flags that it owns have (a) gone missing and (b) been wilfully damaged in each of the last 15 years.
Answer
There are no recorded instances of national flags being stolen or wilfully damaged in the last 15 years.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the conviction on 10 October 2024 of the master of a
scallop diving vessel in breach of the South Arran Marine Conservation Order,
whether the accused was offered a fixed penalty notice (FPN) prior to referral
to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and, if so, what the
value was of any such FPN; how many scallops were removed as a result of the
offence, and what happened to them; what the value was of the scallops taken
during the offence, and, in the event that they were sold, who received the
money.
Answer
The master of the vessel convicted of fishing in the South Aran Marine Protected Area was initially offered a £10,000 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), the maximum permitted under the FPN scheme. This consisted of £4,000 for the "access offence" and £6,000 for the value of the catch, as determined when the catch was inspected by Marine Directorate Officers at the time of landing. The FPN was not paid and the case was reported the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service and the case went to trial where the master was fined £4175 by the Sheriff.
The catch consisted of 914kg of king scallops, which was sold to a merchant. The merchant provided the Marine Directorate with a salenote stating the value of the catch was £4548.50. The value of the catch would have been paid to the owner of the vessel.
Further details of the FPN are available - Marine compliance: fixed penalty notices - gov.scot