Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29970

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties there are with unsafe cladding in each Scottish Parliament constituency.

There are 107 entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme.

Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the entries. A pilot assessment includes those carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification on 21 June 2024. This number relates to known pilot assessments only; developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government.

Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.

At present, data is not held at constituency level relating to the number of properties with unsafe cladding.

Question reference: S6W-29966

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual properties in Scotland have had unsafe cladding completely removed since 2017.

There are 107 entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme.

Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the entries. A pilot assessment includes those carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification on 21 June 2024. This number relates to known pilot assessments only; developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.

Works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures. This number relates to known works on a pilot entry only; developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government. Again, this means the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.

Works to remediate risks have not been completed for any of the entries. Although work on the external wall cladding system has been undertaken on one building, an SBA – carried out to the standard to be specified by Scottish Ministers under section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 – is required to ensure that all works required have been identified and completed ahead of the remediation being designated as complete.

Question reference: S6T-02115

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether the early release scheme for prisoners has been a success.

Question reference: S6W-29535

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following reports that at least 16 children and young people have died of suicide or drugs overdoses in Scotland's care system since 2021.

Creating Hope Together: suicide prevention action plan 2022 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) our joint suicide prevention strategy with CoSLA, has a concerted focus on understanding and meeting the needs of those who face a higher risk of suicide. This includes the care experienced community. Our Creating Hope Together – Year 2 Delivery plan (2024-26) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) includes specific commitments to support the care experienced community ensuring, where appropriate, connection is made at local level with the relevant Promise leads. As part of our work with high risk settings, we are also working with secure care providers to develop a suicide prevention action plan framework for use in the care experience sector.

Any death of a young person due to drugs is a real concern to this government and we are currently developing a set of Standards for local areas, co-designed with young people, to ensure there is sufficient support in place for young people who take drugs. As part of our cross-government response to the final Drug Deaths Taskforce Report, Changing-Lives-updated-1.pdf (knowthescore.info) we are investing £1.5 million in Planet Youth Home | Planet Youth Scotland, sometimes referred to as the Icelandic Model, which is an evidence based model for substance use prevention.

Since October 2021 we have commissioned and funded a National Hub to review and learn from the deaths of all children and young people in Scotland and ultimately help reduce future preventable child deaths. The first Data Overview report: National hub for reviewing and learning from the deaths of children and young people – Data overview report: March 2024 – Healthcare Improvement Scotland from the National Hub was published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-29524

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent announcement by ScotRail that it plans to reduce services to Largs station will have on rail users who plan to attend the Largs Viking Festival.

ScotRail matches its resources to best meet passenger needs during expected grow in demand, for example when special events are happening.

ScotRail advises that it added extra carriages for travelers attending the Largs Viking Festival at the weekend of 31st August and 1st September 2024 and maintained an hourly service to Largs on 7th September. Extra carriages were added to services ran on Sunday the 8th September to provide better capacity.

Question reference: S6W-29457

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with (a) residents of and (b) people who are employed in Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride before the recent announcement by ScotRail that it plans to reduce services to Largs station.

Question reference: S6W-28915

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual spend is on the NHS iMatter survey.

Question reference: S6W-28914

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that nursing graduates are able to reduce the NHS vacancy list.

Health Boards are autonomous institutions and as such, are responsible for their own recruitment activity taking into account, retention, absence rates and budgets when making decisions.

Scottish Government officials have however been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job offers and supply, with Boards remaining committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified nurses to find employment and reduce vacancies across nursing.

Question reference: S6W-28577

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Healthcare Improvement Scotland regarding regulation of the carrying out of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as Botox and dermal fillers, by people who are not healthcare professionals.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is represented on, and contributes to the discussions at the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group, which meets regularly to discuss and advise the Scottish Government on options for the potential regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in Scotland.

However, as a regulator, HIS only regulates independent clinics where services are provided by a medical practitioner, dental practitioner, registered nurse, registered midwife, dental care professional, pharmacist or pharmacy technician.

Question reference: S6W-28580

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the reported black market for unlicensed beauty products, and any role of organised crime in such a market.

Scottish Government officials met with Police Scotland and Environmental Health Officers on 12 January 2023 regarding concerns related to the potential involvement of organised crime groups in the beauty/cosmetics sector.

The implications of the use of counterfeit and unlicensed beauty products is one of a number of issues under consideration as we consider further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are committed to working together to disrupt any serious organised crime and the harm it causes to individuals and communities.

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