- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that any allocated funding for sport will reach, and be used to support, clubs and groups that deliver local sporting activities, and not be diverted into national or local government budgets.
Answer
Any funding provided to organisations by the Scottish Government directly, or through sport scotland, for this purpose, will include arrangements for monitoring of that investment.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reported concerns that participation in sport declines once children reach secondary school age.
Answer
We recognise that being physically active is one of the best things we can do for our physical and mental wellbeing. We are committed to providing all children and young people equal opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity. As set out in the Programme for Government we will double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament ensuring more people can enjoy active lives as we recover, improving physical, mental and social health. We will also work with the National Agency for Sport, sports cotland to ensure that Active Schools programmes are free for all children and young people, providing them with more opportunities to take part in sport before, during and after school.
There are also established programmes within secondary schools to address key elements of the sporting system and drive engagement and participation such as sport scotland’s Fit For Girls (FFG) programme to help engage teenage girls where there is a higher drop off in participation. The FFG programme is being delivered across the country to provide solutions workshops for girls and practitioners to help engage inactive teenage girls.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £15 million of funding announced on 15 October 2021 for a Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is in addition to its commitment in the Programme for Government to “double the budget for community based mental wellbeing services for children and young people to £30 million”.
Answer
The £15 million of funding announced on 15 October 2021 for a Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults is a new fund. The Fund is part of the £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund announced in February to ensure the delivery of the commitments set out in the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan in response to mental health needs arising from the pandemic. This funding is separate from the commitment to double funding for community mental wellbeing services for children and young people.
The £15 million Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund aims to support adult community-based initiatives across Scotland which promote good mental health and wellbeing and early intervention for those in distress and tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic. Grass roots community groups and organisations will be able to benefit from the funds to deliver activities and programmes to people to re-connect and revitalise communities building on examples of good practice which have emerged throughout the pandemic.
This year we have provided local authorities with an additional £15 Million to fund over 200 new and enhanced mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children and young people. The Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party shared policy programme commits to doubling the budget for community based mental wellbeing services for children and young people to £30 million per annum. Ministers are currently considering options to take this forward and will be informed by the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33076 by Clare Haughey on 19 November 2020, whether the £15 million of funding announced on 15 October 2021 for a Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is the continuation of funding allocated previously.
Answer
The £15 million of funding announced on 15 October 2021 for a Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults is a new fund. The Fund is part of the £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund announced in February to ensure the delivery of the commitments set out in the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan in response to mental health needs arising from the pandemic.
This funding is separate from the £15 million currently allocated to local authorities for the provision of mental health and wellbeing services for 5-24 year olds.
The £15 million Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund aims to support adult community-based initiatives across Scotland which promote good mental health and wellbeing and early intervention for those in distress and tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic. Grass roots community groups and organisations will be able to benefit from the funds to deliver activities and programmes to people to re-connect and revitalise communities building on examples of good practice which have emerged throughout the pandemic.
In addition we have provided local authorities with an additional £15 million this year to fund over 200 new and enhanced mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children and young people.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) older people, (b) financially vulnerable people, (c) people on low incomes and (d) others in the South Ayrshire Council area it estimates will find it difficult to meet the cost of (i) purchasing and (ii) fitting fire alarms to bring them in line with the minimum standard that is being introduced in February 2022; what support it will offer to help them meet this cost, and what assistance the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will provide.
Answer
It is not possible to estimate how many people in South Ayrshire would find it difficult to meet the cost of purchasing or fitting fire alarms, because information about the number of homes that do not have alarms that meet the new standard is not currently collected as part of the Scottish House Condition Survey.
Home owners are responsible for the costs of on-going work needed to protect and preserve their own property, which includes the costs for the fire alarms to meet the new standard. However, we have provided £0.5 million additional funding for Care and Repair Scotland to provide help installing alarms for older and disabled homeowners on low incomes. We have also provided £1 million to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to provide alarms for owners who are considered most vulnerable to the risk of fire.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support residents in areas where local authority care and repair services are not available, including South Ayrshire.
Answer
Local authorities have statutory responsibility for improving houses in their area and broad discretionary powers to provide advice and support to owners. It is for a local authority to determine whether this is best provided through a local care and repair service or directly by the local authority.
In connection with the new standard for fire and smoke alarms, Care and Repair Scotland have undertaken to liaise with local services that are adjacent to areas that do not have a service, and, if it is possible, to provide support across the boundaries, but this will depend on the practicalities of delivering support and the agreement of the local authority concerned.
In the case of South Ayrshire support for the purpose of assistance with fire alarms is being provided by the service at Shire Housing Association, which provides the Care and Repair service for East Ayrshire. Contact details are available on their website at https://shirehousing.co.uk/our-services/care-repair/ .
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 4 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow Prestwick Airport reportedly not charging private aircraft weighing up to 10 tonnes to park at the airport for up to 24 hours.
Answer
Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s Schedule of Charges is set out clearly on its website. Parking charges are only one aspect of charges applied to visiting aircraft. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is operated on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government, in compliance with our obligations under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU.
This is a commercial matter for the airport and Ministers do not intervene in commercial decisions at the airport. It is for the airport’s management team to consider all potential business opportunities to maximise the use of the assets of the airport.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 4 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase the number of students studying pharmacy at Scottish universities and colleges, in light of the reported shortage of pharmacists.
Answer
There has been an increase in the overall numbers of students studying pharmacy with more Scottish domiciled students undertaking the course. In 2020/21 there was an increase of 51 undergraduate students accepted in to first year and again an increase of 53 undergraduate pharmacy students in 2021/22.
The two Schools of Pharmacy in Scotland are encouraging applicants from parts of Scotland where there are gaps in the pharmacy workforce and working with schools to promote pharmacy as a career.
The Scottish Government continues to work with NHS National Education for Scotland and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in developing a joint programme to encourage more students, and not just school leavers, to consider careers in pharmacy .
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given a contract to deliver any NHS services to private healthcare provider, Oviva.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not given a contract to Oviva to deliver any NHS services.