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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-04541

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether all staff working in mental health services are given equalities training.

Each Health Board requires staff to undertake mandatory training to help them understand the Board’s policy on equality, diversity and human rights, and what it means for them in terms of both their rights and any associated responsibilities.

The Scottish Government is exploring how to best deliver a more robust and up-to-date learning on equality, diversity and inclusion based on engagement with those with relevant experience and expertise.

The Scottish Government also fully supports all staff diversity networks and is developing an online platform to help networks across Scotland to share information and resources. We have established a staff led National NHS Ethnic Minority Forum that aims to amplify the voices of ethnic minority staff across the health service and tackle issues of systemic racism.

Question reference: S6W-04356

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to support the mental wellbeing of paramedics.

This year the Scottish Government has made available £12 million to support the wellbeing of the health and social care workforce. This includes £8 million from the NHS Recovery Plan to provide ongoing wellbeing support alongside an additional £4 million for practical, emotional and evidence-based psychological support to help staff as they respond to winter pressures.

The Scottish Government’s national resources are available to support the mental wellbeing of paramedics. These include the 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, the National Wellbeing Hub, Coaching for Wellbeing, the Workforce Specialist Service and additional funding for psychological interventions and therapies specifically for the workforce.

On 21 September 2021 the Cabinet Secretary announced additional funding of £20 million specifically for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to help improve response times, alleviate pressures and improve staff wellbeing. Some £500,000 of this funding is being used to provide additional welfare for crews and a range of wellbeing initiatives, such as personal resilience packages and a dedicated wellbeing team.

Question reference: S6W-03990

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roadworks on the A8011 over the M80 bridges around J4a, including the nature of the works and expected timescale for completion.

Question reference: S6O-00317

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that welfare entitlements and other benefits such as council tax exemptions are taken up by care experienced young people.

Question reference: S6O-00290

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to address illegal trawling.

Question reference: S6W-03440

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Alcohol marketing during the 2020 Six Nations Championship: A frequency analysis, including the finding that a reference to alcohol appeared every 12 seconds during the broadcast of a match played in Scotland.

Sports sponsorship entails a range of alcohol advertising and promotional activity, which we know is seen by children and young people across Scotland. The findings of this report undertaken by researchers at the University of Stirling highlight just how much children and young people are exposed to alcohol marketing in a sports context.

We know this exposure creates positive attitudes towards drinking alcohol and can encourage them to start drinking alcohol or to drink more alcohol.

Whilst recognising the impact Covid-19 has had on the sporting sector as well as the importance of sponsorship income, we would encourage sports teams and organisations to diversify sponsorship away from alcohol brands. We applaud Scottish Women’s Football for the stance they have taken not to accept sponsorship from the alcohol or gambling industries.

We have committed to publicly consulting on a range of potential alcohol marketing restrictions to protect children and young people in Scotland. We are considering all methods of alcohol advertising and promotion in developing proposals for the public consultation which will be published in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-02872

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01792 by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2021, what proportion of the NHS budget is spent specifically on general practice.

Question reference: S6W-03287

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Racial Inequality and Mental Health in Scotland: A call to action.

Question reference: S6W-03286

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement each of the eight recommendations that are directed to it in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Racial Inequality and Mental Health in Scotland: A call to action.

Question reference: S6O-00233

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that young people's views on climate change are listened to in the run up to COP26.

On 13 September, we announced £300,000 of support for the 16th conference of youth—COY16—the UN’s official youth event for COP26. For the first time, five young people from Scotland will join participants from around the world and will help to shape the conference’s statement. We also support the Young Scot-led Scottish youth climate programme, which enables Scottish children and young people to host a climate youth summit ahead of COP26 to design the legacy that they want from the conference and to act as local champions across the country.