Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-03548

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on how it is widening access to its educational services.

Question reference: S6W-27703

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent painkiller overdoses in young people.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in combination with retailers, already limit the sale of paracetamol to a maximum of two packs (containing up to 16 solid dose tablets or capsules) in a retail environment. The aim of these voluntary measures is to balance the need of people for access to pain relief medicines against the dangers for vulnerable individuals and reduce the opportunity for people to purchase, on impulse, excessive quantities of any single analgesic (paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen). A pharmacy may sell larger packs containing up to 32 tablets or capsules under the supervision of a pharmacist; it is illegal to sell more than 100 tablets or capsules of either paracetamol or aspirin in any one retail transaction. Since most packs available for sale are for 16 or 32 dose units, this means that, in practice, 96 is the maximum number that can be sold.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has provided guidelines to community pharmacies on the dispensing and supply of medicines to children and young people. The decision on whether a supply is appropriate is on a case by case basis and will involve considering the individual circumstances. The guidelines apply for both NHS and private prescriptions as well as pharmacy services such as NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27653

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce guidance to encourage (a) local authorities and (b) social housing providers to ensure that domestic abuse victims are prioritised for social housing.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-27652

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to roll out the ASSIST system across Scotland.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-27654

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to expand the Fund to Leave scheme across Scotland.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-27650

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to domestic abuse services for underrepresented groups.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-27647

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to create a violence against women unit.

The Scottish Government absolutely recognises the serious damage which violence against woman and girls causes to individuals and society, as evidenced through the aims of our Equally Safe Strategy and its delivery mechanisms.

As I have outlined in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this area alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask in the context of Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27648

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to classify violence against women as a "national threat".

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-27651

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to deliver a dedicated women’s officer for every local authority.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-27628

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the Caledonian System to all local authority areas.

There are 20 local authority areas that currently deliver the Caledonian System, with the most recent area, West Dunbartonshire, starting delivery in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government announced additional investment of £11.4 million for justice social work services for 2024-25 to help build capacity, strengthen and improve services, existing and new, and to support local prioritisation aimed at reducing reoffending.

The Scottish Government wrote to the 12 Local Authorities who currently do not deliver the Caledonian System seeking views on whether in light of the additional sums provided they want to consider roll out of the Caledonian System in their area and wished to access central training and support.

All 12 areas have now responded. The majority of Local Authorities advised that their additional funding was being used for other areas that they considered to be of priority and they would not wish to consider roll out of the Caledonian system at this time. Several areas did note potential interest and will shortly meet the Caledonian National Team in Community Justice Scotland (CJS) to discuss the potential for any further roll out.

We were also made aware that some local authority areas have committed themselves to delivering alternative domestic abuse programmes and therefore have advised that they would not wish to change delivery to the Caledonian System at this time.

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