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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-11296

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce report, whether the Food Security Unit has been set up and, if this is not the case, when it anticipates that this will take place, and what engagement it has had in this regard with (a) the UK Government, (b) the EU and (c) other international food security structures, including the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM).

The Programme for Government 2022 to 2023 on 6 September 2022, outlined that a dedicated Food Security Unit would be established within the Scottish Government with a view to monitoring ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities and linking with future food security work’. The Food Security unit is in the process of being established.

However, until the unit is officially established and underway, work is being taken forward by officials in regards to food security including the completion of other recommendations from the Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce Report as well as regular engagement with the Food and Drink industry.

The Scottish Government takes the topic of food security in Scotland seriously and I, as well as my fellow Scottish Ministers continue to press the UK Government, urging them to take action immediately on particular issues they have control over. I also recently wrote to the UK Government again to highlight the cumulative impact on the food and drink sector of labour and skills shortages and now rising costs.

We also continue to have a range of regular engagement with the EU, including on the important issue of food security and the associated work of the European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism.

Scottish Ministers and officials will continue to work closely with industry representatives, and continue to engage across the sectors and governments in relation to food security and supply issues.

Question reference: S6W-11630

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series to inform the debate on Scotland’s future.

I am pleased to advise Parliament that the Scottish Government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and is today publishing A stronger economy through independence.

The third paper in the Building a New Scotland series sets out proposals for the economy of an independent Scotland and how new powers, combined with existing strengths, would give Scotland the opportunity to build a better future for everyone who lives here.

The paper describes this Government’s proposals for how an independent Scotland would improve access to flexible working and strengthen workplace rights, would use its extraordinary energy resources to build an economy based on low-cost, renewable energy and would invest in infrastructure through the Building a New Scotland Fund. It also includes information on currency, borders and fiscal sustainability.

Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy through independence is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at www.gov.scot/newscotland .

Question reference: S6O-01428

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the cost of living crisis on poverty levels in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01388

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken of the cumulative impact on business of the pressures of a weak currency, high inflation, rising energy costs and Brexit.

Question reference: S6W-10497

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for its Women in Enterprise Review, and when the review is scheduled to be published.

Responding to a recognised gender gap in business participation, Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy commissioned Ana Stewart, entrepreneur and investor, to deliver an independent Review on widening access to entrepreneurship for women.

The Stewart Review, due to publish later in the year, will identify the root causes of the continuing under-representation of women in enterprise and propose specific actions required to address the needs of female-led businesses in Scotland.

The expected themes of the review are to include, but not be limited to:

Access to Finance
Networks, mentoring and role models
Advice and Support
Education

The response of the Scottish Government to the Review will be mindful of existing activity and align with NSET recommendations on transforming the Scottish economy through widening business participation under the Entrepreneurial People and Culture programme.

Question reference: S6W-10214

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to prepare a national framework for social prescribing, to facilitate a consistent, effective and high-quality approach.

Question reference: S6W-10761

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General will publish the annual report for 2021.

Question reference: S6W-10108

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the roll-out of free digital devices for all school children will take place in East Lothian.

1,806 devices have been distributed by the Council in East Lothian using the £25m digital inclusion funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020/21.

In addition, information we have from councils indicates that almost 280,000 devices have been, or are in the process of being, rolled out to learners across Scotland. This includes 72,000 provided as a result of Scottish Government funding.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring every school aged child in Scotland has access to a device by the end of this parliament, in 2026.

This is a complex and ambitious commitment, and we are currently undertaking preparatory work, including looking at the available infrastructure in schools. We are taking work forward in partnership with local government colleagues and have convened a joint partnership board with COSLA to oversee the work.

Question reference: S6W-10107

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 24 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timeline for the roll-out of the national allowance for foster and kinship carers, as per its committed actions to deliver The Promise by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-09764

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent data from the Scottish Stroke Care Audit showing that in NHS Lothian the number of stroke admissions rose by 9.5% and the proportion of stroke patients that received thrombolysis fell by 4.3%.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to provide the best possible care for those who have experienced a stroke, including thrombolysis where considered clinically appropriate.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme (SSIP) report, published on 28 June and available at: https://www.strokeaudit.scot.nhs.uk/index.html , notes a clear effect of the waves of COVID-19 on hospitals.

Stroke admission numbers often fell during the early waves of the pandemic, with patients possibly avoiding seeking medical attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this may help explain the increase in stroke admissions between 2020 and 2021. The trend of increased stroke admissions between 2020 and 2021 is not unique to NHS Lothian and was observed across Scotland.

The proportion of patients who received thrombolysis in NHS Lothian in 2021 (8.9%) was broadly in line with the proportion of stroke patients who received thrombolysis across Scotland (9.1%).