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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: S6O-00500

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pilots to provide free bicycles for school-age children.

Question reference: S6O-00471

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Tay Cities Region Deal is having on Dundee.

Question reference: S6O-00398

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reported calls for licensees to be required to provide alcohol sales data to their local licensing board.

Question reference: S6W-03985

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to establish independent oversight and assurance of NHS Tayside’s mental health services, and to ensure there is ongoing support for the Tayside Executive Partnership in responding to the findings and recommendations from the independent inquiry, following Dr David Strang’s progress review, which was published in July 2021.

I have now appointed an independent group who will provide oversight and assurance. The group will work with the Tayside Executive Partnership to support progress in improving Tayside’s mental health services and ensure that the recommendations from the independent inquiry are fully implemented.

The group will be chaired by Fiona Lees, former Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council. She will be supported by David Williams, former Chief Officer of Glasgow City Integrated Joint Board and previously an Advisor on Integration to the Scottish Government; and Fraser McKinlay, former Controller of Audit and Director of Performance Audit and Best Value.

The Scottish Government takes the recommendations from the independent inquiry seriously and I believe the skill set and experience of these members are essential to providing the appropriate oversight of their implementation to improve mental health services in Tayside.

The Independent Oversight and Assurance Group on Tayside Mental Health Services will provide me with written updates on progress on a quarterly basis. The role of this group is also separate from that of the Tayside Executive Partnership which is expected to have its own collective assurance processes and remains accountable to the NHS Board and relevant Councils. This is a time-limited group, initially for a 12 month period. The timescales for its operation will be kept under review and as such, it will not become an established part of the governance landscape in Tayside.

I am determined that real and sustained progress is made in Tayside through the implementation of the independent inquiry recommendations and most importantly, that the people of Tayside receive the quality of mental health care which meets their needs and expectations, and that healthcare staff are appropriately supported and developed.

Question reference: S6O-00276

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government support and funding it is providing to local authorities to aid the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-03412

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ash Denham on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report and recommendations of the Legal Aid Payment Advisory Panel.

I thank the members of the Legal Aid Payment Advisory Panel for the careful consideration taken over the recommendations in its report.

We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Report and these will help shape future reform to the legal aid system.

In particular, I welcome the recommendation that further research is needed to ensure that fees are set at appropriate levels, therefore we will now begin the process of commissioning that research and will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout that process.

Legal Aid Payment Review Panel: report to the Minister for Community Safety

Question reference: S6O-00208

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Tayside regarding the grading of district nurse roles.

Question reference: S6O-00193

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its efforts to prevent and alleviate homelessness.

Question reference: S6W-02334

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an update to Cycling by Design.

Question reference: S6W-02155

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the climate emergency is a material consideration in Scotland's planning system.

All planning applications are required to be determined in accordance with the relevant development plan unless material planning considerations justify a departure from the development plan.

Whilst it is for decision makers to decide what considerations are material to, and what weight to attach to each consideration in, the determination of a planning application, Scottish Government Planning Policy is a significant material consideration in the planning system.

Currently, our National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate adaptation to climate change. Responding to the global climate emergency is at the heart of the preparation of National Planning Framework 4, that we will lay in Parliament and consult on widely this autumn.