- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure an effective roll-out of the cystic fibrosis treatment, Kaftrio, to eligible children aged six to 11 years old.
Answer
Kaftrio ® has been available for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 12 years and older since 1 September 2020. This follows a pricing agreement with the manufacturer. There is provision in the access policy and pricing agreement for expanding access to Kaftrio ® as licence extensions are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The most recent extension in January 2022 allows for Kaftrio ® to be used in children aged 6 to 11 years.
This means that clinicians - working in cystic fibrosis treatment centres - can now prescribe Kaftrio ® for younger patients whom they consider will benefit from its use.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 11 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the resignation of Terry A'Hearn, as Chief Executive of SEPA, will have on the current review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy, and when it anticipates that SEPA will have a new Chief Executive in post.
Answer
Dr Colin Church was appointed as independent Chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland in November 2021.
SEPA, as with other stakeholders, has the opportunity to submit a response to the ongoing call for evidence and to participate in the review process led by Dr Church . I do not expect Mr A’Hearn’s resignation to have an impact on SEPA’s participation in the review process but this is a matter for SEPA and Dr Church to determine.
SEPA have started the process of recruitment and expect a Chief Executive to be in post later this year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what additional financial support will be made available to households to help meet the new fire alarm standard, in light of the recent increase in energy prices and the extra pressure this puts on household budgets.
Answer
We know that some homeowners may not be able to meet the cost of fitting the necessary alarms which is why we provided £500,000 through Care and Repair Scotland to help elderly and disabled people. We have also made available a further £500,000 to Care and Repair to extend this support beyond 1 February 2022.
This is in addition to the £1m funding provided to SFRS for its Home Fire Safety Visit programme to owner occupied properties assessed to be at high risk from fire.
We also provided £15m loan funding to social landlords to support them to fit compliant alarms for all tenants.
Flexibility is built into the existing legislation through a provision setting out that the work should be done “within such period as is reasonable in all the circumstances”, allowing flexibility for home owners unable to install alarms by 1 February 2022.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the use of the CitizenCard as valid ID for the purposes of the vaccine certification scheme.
Answer
Currently only passports and driving licences are accepted as valid forms of ID for registering on the NHS Scotland COVID Status app. Should forms of identification accepted be expanded, then Citizen Cards would be considered alongside other forms of ID. Individuals without a passport and driving licence can request a paper or PDF copy of their COVID Status through NHS Inform .
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with National Records of Scotland and other organisations, on the challenges facing people affected by historic forced adoption when seeking to access records.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government which operators have been found liable under the Environmental Liability (Scotland) Regulations 2009 of causing (a) land damage, (b) water damage and (c) damage to protected (i) habitats and (ii) species, and what penalty was imposed.
Answer
Since reporting requirements came into force on 31 st October 2019, no operators have, to date, been found liable for environmental damage under the Environmental Liability (Scotland) Regulations 2009, as amended by The Environmental Liability etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of NHS never services.
Answer
We wrote to NHS Boards on the 10 December to set out measures intended to support NHS Scotland to manage the continuing pressures resulting from the pandemic and the emerging threats posed by Omicron. Services which were considered essential under this direction included primary care services, vaccination, urgent and unscheduled care and drug and alcohol services. It is for local Boards to determine how they apply this guidance.
Boards were advised to review their planned care activity in line with the Clinical Priority Framework to support the delivery of urgent care and urgent cancer care. Patient safety will always remain at the forefront of any decisions made related to service delivery.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the financial impact on the (a) Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) subway and (b) Edinburgh tram network of the introduction of free bus travel for under-22s.
Answer
Transport Scotland has engaged with Transport for Edinburgh and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to try to understand the potential impacts of the introduction of the national free bus scheme on their operations. This work will help to develop a baseline evaluation of the new Scheme, which will be reviewed after its first full year of operation.
There are separate local concessionary schemes run by local authorities or Regional Transport Partnerships that cover other modes of transport. Any decision to extend concessions to these modes rests with them.
The Scottish Government is also working with CoSLA and the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers (ATCO) to quantify the overall effects of the introduction of the scheme on wider Local Authority budgets.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of public transport use of under-22s, and whether it plans to extend the free bus travel scheme for under-22s to subway and tram networks.
Answer
Transport Scotland has committed to an evaluation of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme following the first full year of operation. The evaluation will assess the short and medium outcomes and the long term impact of the scheme by comparing conditions at different stages.
Baseline data collection of public transport usage is now underway, including an online survey with children, young people and parents. This will assess travel behaviour attitudes and perceptions of travel prior to the scheme starting on 31 January 2022.
We currently have no plans to extend the statutory scheme beyond the existing bus travel provisions.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have dedicated facilities for women experiencing miscarriage or unexpected pregnancy complications.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. A scoping exercise of NHS Boards in respect of services for miscarriage and unexpected pregnancy complications was paused in light of service pressures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subject to sustained improvement in the pandemic we intend to issue this shortly.