- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will allocate to each local authority for its trading standards department to enforce the proposed (a) ban on single-use vapes and (b) raising of the tobacco age of sale, and whether it plans to propose a ministerial statement on these issues.
Answer
Government officials have been engaging closely with Trading Standards to receive their feedback on the draft legislation for the proposed ban on single-use vapes. Officials are carrying out a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment to understand the potential impacts including costs on businesses and public bodies.
On raising the age of sale for tobacco, a UK-wide impact assessment has been undertaken which considers the costs of enforcement for local authorities. We engage regularly with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) on the enforcement of existing legislation and will continue to engage with them through implementation of the Bill.
A ministerial statement on the smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping policy measures will take place following the introduction of legislation to UK Parliament.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of non-compliant vapes currently being sold in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally, it is up to individual Local Authorities to enforce legislation around non-compliant nicotine vapour products through Local Trading Standards Officers.
To support the enforcement of the legislation around the sale and purchase of Nicotine Vapour Products (vapes), Local Authorities receive an additional £1.34m. Each Local Authority decides how these funds are spent locally.
Officials meet regularly with The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and receive regular updates on any actions taken by trading standards, including enforcement for a failure to comply with legislation around the sale and purchase of these products.
We also meet regularly with HMRC, who work alongside Border Force to take action to tackle the import of illicit vaping products at the border.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring empty properties back into use for housing.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2024
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 6 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority wards have a population of over 15,500 residents, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) population.
Answer
I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Of the 355 wards in Scotland, 162 had a population over 15,500 as at 30 June 2021. The following table shows the number of electoral wards with a population over 15,500, by local authority.
Number of electoral wards with a population over 15,500, by local authority, as at 30 June 2021
Local authority | Number of wards with over 15,500 residents | Number of wards with up to 15,500 residents | Total number of wards |
Scotland | 162 | 193 | 355 |
Aberdeen City | 11 | 2 | 13 |
Aberdeenshire | 6 | 13 | 19 |
Angus | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Argyll and Bute | 0 | 11 | 11 |
City of Edinburgh | 17 | 0 | 17 |
Clackmannanshire | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 0 | 12 | 12 |
Dundee City | 8 | 0 | 8 |
East Ayrshire | 2 | 7 | 9 |
East Dunbartonshire | 3 | 4 | 7 |
East Lothian | 5 | 1 | 6 |
East Renfrewshire | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Falkirk | 8 | 1 | 9 |
Fife | 15 | 7 | 22 |
Glasgow City | 23 | 0 | 23 |
Highland | 1 | 20 | 21 |
Inverclyde | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Midlothian | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Moray | 1 | 7 | 8 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 0 | 11 | 11 |
North Ayrshire | 4 | 5 | 9 |
North Lanarkshire | 12 | 9 | 21 |
Orkney Islands | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Perth and Kinross | 3 | 9 | 12 |
Renfrewshire | 6 | 6 | 12 |
Scottish Borders | 0 | 11 | 11 |
Shetland Islands | 0 | 7 | 7 |
South Ayrshire | 2 | 6 | 8 |
South Lanarkshire | 10 | 10 | 20 |
Stirling | 2 | 5 | 7 |
West Dunbartonshire | 2 | 4 | 6 |
West Lothian | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Source: Electoral Ward Population Estimates, published by National Records of Scotland.
The population of each ward is published in ‘Electoral Ward Population Estimates’,
on the National Records of Scotland website: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/2011-based-special-area-population-estimates/electoral-ward-population-estimates
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking now to plan and prepare for maintaining hepatitis C elimination once it has been achieved, in light of the acknowledgement in its recent Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan of the importance of working to maintain elimination once it has been achieved.
Answer
Public Health Scotland is responsible for ongoing surveillance of hepatitis C and will monitor achievement and maintenance of the elimination target in Scotland. This intelligence, combined with expert advice such as through the Scottish Health Protection Network’s Viral Hepatitis Group, will be used to inform an effective, flexible and evidence-based approach to maintaining elimination. It should also be noted that some of the key interventions for hepatitis C elimination, such as such as injecting equipment provision, will continue to be important for preventing other blood borne viruses and health outcomes.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 4 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide resources to GP link workers to refer patients requesting support for forced adoption to peer support groups.
Answer
The Scottish Government has funded Health in Mind to deliver a historic forced adoption peer support service and implement a comprehensive communication strategy to help raise awareness of this support. As part of this, Health In Mind has contacted all health boards in Scotland and asked them to share information about the service with their GP practices.
Health In Mind has also shared details of the service with adoption related organisations, social work departments, third sector organisations and a variety of community spaces such as libraries and churches, as well as on social media platforms. Further details of the peer support service are available online: https://health-in-mind.org.uk/how-we-can-help/national-services/historic-adoption-trauma-support-service/
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service to cover all of Scotland.
Answer
As reflected in Scotland’s Cancer Strategy for Scotland, published June 2023, we are committed to “expanding and evaluating Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to ensure population-based coverage”.
The University of Strathclyde published a final evaluation report on 29 February 2024 reflecting on the first two years of RCDSs operating in NHS Scotland. This work was commissioned to inform roll-out, including optimal components and highlighting its success. Following its release, we’ll work with Boards across Scotland to consider the findings and ensure learning is embedded.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many car thefts have been recorded in the past three years, and, of those, how many involved (a) a perpetrator breaking into the home to take keys and (b) the use of so-called cloning equipment to steal the car without the keys.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information specifically on the number of car thefts. Information on the number of thefts of a motor vehicle is provided below, but it is not possible to break that down by type of motor vehicle.
In terms of a perpetrator breaking into a home to take keys, it should be noted that this is recorded as a crime of housebreaking and not as a theft of a motor vehicle. The data held by the Scottish Government does not include information on what was stolen during any recorded crime of housebreaking.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the use of so-called cloning equipment to steal a car without the keys.
Crimes of theft of a motor vehicle, Scotland, year ending December 2021 to year ending December 2023
| | Year ending December 2021 | Year ending December 2022 | Year ending December 2023 |
Theft of a motor vehicle | 4,240 | 4,975 | 5,438 |
Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland Accredited Official Statistics, year ending December 2023
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred to the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service in each NHS board that it is operational in, in each of the last three years.
Answer
A final two year report of Scotland’s early adopter sites, was published by the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 29 th February highlighting its success, a summary of which is available at rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services-evaluation-summary-february-2024.pdf (nhscfsd.co.uk)
The report found that 3,616 RCDS referrals were received and 2,489 (~69%) accepted. The remainder of referrals were largely either redirected to site-specific cancer pathways (~15%) or did not progress onto the RCDS pathway as they didn’t meet referral criteria (~12%).
This data covers the time period from when RCDSs were activated up to October 2023. Work is continuing with PHS to establish a national data collection for RCDSs.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children have attended independent schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This data has been collected by the Registrar of Independent Schools from available independent school census statistics. The census commences in the September of each year in accordance with part 4 of the Registration of Independent Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended by the Registration of Independent Schools (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021).
The following table outlines the number of children and young people who attended an independent school in each year since 2015, broken down by local authority. This data is not held from before 2015.
Local Authority | Pupil Numbers 2021 | Pupil Numbers 2020 | Pupil Numbers 2019 | Pupil Numbers 2018 | Pupil Numbers 2017 | Pupil Numbers 2016 | Pupil Number 2015 |
Aberdeen City Council | 3,072* | 3,032 | 3,082 | 3,402 | 3,115 | 3,034 | 3,256 |
Aberdeenshire Council | 18* | 15 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 21 |
Angus Council | 223* | 219 | 211 | 222 | 223 | 223 | 249 |
Argyll and Bute Council | 352* | 321 | 332 | 352 | 366 | 367 | 362 |
City of Edinburgh Council | 11,298* | 11,055 | 11,161 | 11,102 | 10,993 | 10,917 | 10,974 |
Clackmannanshire Council | 1,550 | 1,530 | 1,531 | 1,509 | 1,469 | 1,409 | 1,470 |
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 15 |
Dumfries and Galloway Council | 27 | 42 | 42 | 36 | 43 | 44 | 34 |
Dundee City Council | 956* | 920 | 954 | 968 | 979 | 1,002 | 1,022 |
East Ayrshire Council | 12 | 51 | 51 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 43 |
East Dunbartonshire Council | 19 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
East Lothian Council | 753* | 745 | 806 | 811 | 805 | 874 | 867 |
East Renfrewshire Council | 205 | 199 | 199 | 209 | 219 | 220 | 221 |
Falkirk Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fife Council | 1,196* | 1,148 | 1,120 | 1,087 | 1,078 | 1,098 | 1,107 |
Glasgow City Council | 5,068* | 5,004 | 5,196 | 5,238 | 5,369 | 5,420 | 5,506 |
Highland Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Inverclyde Council | 686 | 689 | 719 | 739 | 754 | 787 | 771 |
Midlothian Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Moray Council | 603 | 600 | 607 | 626 | 598 | 605 | 645 |
North Ayrshire Council | 56 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 91 | 72 | 66 |
North Lanarkshire Council | 44 | 48 | 48 | 43 | 46 | 49 | 51 |
Orkney Islands Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Perth and Kinross Council | 1,424* | 1,350 | 1,454 | 1,443 | 1,423 | 1,434 | 1,478 |
Renfrewshire Council | 233 | 236 | 237 | 246 | 263 | 268 | 263 |
Scottish Borders Council | 134 | 142 | 157 | 155 | 156 | 154 | 161 |
Shetland Islands Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Ayrshire Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Lanarkshire Council | 588 | 578 | 585 | 597 | 622 | 643 | 667 |
Stirling Council | 292 | 279 | 269 | 254 | 509 | 545 | 560 |
West Dunbartonshire Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
West Lothian Council | 16 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Scotland | 28,834 | 28,316 | 28,888 | 29,188 | 29,198 | 29,264 | 29,822 |
Some pupils will attend a school in a different local authority from the local authority area in which they reside.
Some pupils will be from outwith Scotland and attend a boarding school.
Some independent schools have a presence in more than one local authority, pupils from such schools have been allocated to the local authority of the main school.
The figures for 2021 differ from those provided in answer to PQ from September 2023 (S6W-21172 Written question and answer: S6W-21172 | Scottish Parliament Website ). *Figures have been corrected following the identification of schools being allocated to the wrong local authority. The total of pupils in independent schools for 2021 remains the same.
