- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the NatureScot Research Report 1313, Teaching, learning and play in the outdoors: a survey of provision in Scotland in 2022, published on 30 March 2023.
Answer
Scottish Ministers note this report, welcoming the very positive evidence of significant progress with outdoor learning in early learning but noting the reduction in access to outdoor learning experiences in primary. We have been working intensively with the outdoor education sector and relevant partners, and will continue to do so, to promote the educational value of outdoor education for both early years and school years education, and to provide schools, nurseries and local authorities with the guidance and agency to effectively take learning outside.
Officials will engage with Nature Scot, Education Scotland and the research team to consider the detailed recommendations from the report, with a particular focus on how it can guide implementation of the government’s strengthened action plan on Learning for Sustainability which will be published in the coming weeks.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) monitor and (b) address the incidence of in-work poverty and financial hardship among public sector workers.
Answer
Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical and interdependent missions for the government along with our focus on the economy and strengthening public services. Our Public Sector Pay Strategy for 2023-24 continues to have explicit measures to protect the lowest paid. Employers are required to pay at least the real Living Wage rate of £10.90 per hour for all staff including internships and Modern Apprentices. The strategy also includes a suggested cash underpin of £1,500 for public sector workers who earn £25,000 or less. Link: Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24
While we do not monitor the incidence of in-work poverty and financial hardship among public sector workers this Government also continues to use all the powers and resources available to us to provide support to people on low incomes and to tackle the underlying causes of poverty.
We allocated almost £3 billion last year, and again this year, to tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis. We are also committing £5.2 billion for social security benefits in 2023-24, providing support to more than one million people in Scotland.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment it has carried out of not providing free breakfasts to all primary school children.
Answer
Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We have begun work with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map that provision in order to assess gaps and better understand the impacts. That process is ongoing and will feed into future plans as they develop.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is now on the legal advice that it received in 2017, on which the decision of the then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform not to extend powers to the Scottish SPCA for investigating wildlife crimes was based.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not routinely publish or discuss legal advice received.
During the Parliamentary passage of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, the Scottish Government committed to establishing a taskforce to look again at the arguments for and against extending wildlife crime investigation powers to the Scottish SPCA. This commitment was re-affirmed in both the 2021-22 Programme for Government and in the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any competitive commercial advantage that the port facilities on the River Forth may now have, relative to those on the River Clyde, as a result of the establishment of the Forth Green Freeport.
Answer
As part of the Green Freeports bidding process, bidders were required to outline how their choice of tax site locations would minimise displacement of economic activity from wider areas, especially other economically disadvantaged areas. This was given close consideration within the assessment process. The successful bidders – Firth of Forth, and Inverness and Cromarty Firth – will now develop their initial proposals into detailed outline and full business cases.
Scottish Government officials provided feedback to the unsuccessful bidders and confirmed that the Scottish Government stood ready to work with the bidding coalitions to consider whether and how it might be possible to build on aspects of their plans, outside the Green Freeports programme, to deliver jobs and growth in their respective regions.
The two selected Green Freeports will build on specific areas of strength and opportunities in their particular locations, so we are optimistic that the immediate risk of displacement will in practice be limited. They will be required to monitor, mitigate and report on any potential displacement as they move forward to delivery.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its assessment of current supplies of hormone replacement therapy medication.
Answer
The Scottish Government are aware that there have been continuing shortages across the UK due to a number of factors. The supply of medicines, including HRT products and the associated legislation, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. We continue to engage with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to seek a lasting solution.
A series of UK-wide Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) have been issued by DHSC, after consultation with the Scottish Government and other UK administrations, allowing community pharmacists to supply specific alternatives without needing to seek agreement from the prescribing doctor. An SSP is an additional tool to manage and mitigate medication shortages. This gives individuals the option to receive substitute products in a safe and effective way to ensure medication continues to be available to all.
There are over 70 HRT products available in the UK and supply issues are affecting only a small number of them.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to support cultural activities on Scotland's islands in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) island group and (b) government body providing the funding.
Answer
Creative Scotland, as the national arts development body and funded by the Scottish Government, provide a range of support for cultural activities across Scotland including the islands.
To provide the specific information requested, Creative Scotland will write to the member directly.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider bringing forward an amendment to the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill to include provisions on snaring.
Answer
We will bring forward further proposals on snaring in good time to allow any necessary consultation and introduction at Stage 2 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a minimum level of competency in relation to a first additional language (L2) throughout Scotland.
Answer
Our approach to language learning is a national one, giving every child the entitlement to learn a first additional language from P1 until the end of the Broad General Education (BGE) in S3. Additionally, each child is entitled to learn a second additional language or languages from P5 onwards.
In line with the flexibility of the Curriculum for Excellence, local authorities and schools are responsible for delivering a curriculum suited to their learners and local circumstances. However, national guidelines from Education Scotland on language teaching provide an agreed approach, as well as practical resources, on areas such as classroom language and how to plan for progression.
The entitlement to a first additional language (L2) is supported by a full suite of experiences and outcomes from the First to Fourth curriculum level. These describe the expected and appropriate level of proficiency at each curriculum level, but do not place a ceiling on achievement. As with other curricular areas, there is an expectation that most learners will reach the Fourth level in the L2 by the end of the BGE, and this is underpinned and supported by a framework of progression from Education Scotland. This provides a strong platform for attainment in National Qualifications or to pursue accreditation and recognition through the Languages for Life and Work award.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of hedgerow have been (a) reinstated and (b) planted through schemes such as the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, in each year for which data is available.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports and funds the creation and restoration of hedgerows in Scotland through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and the Agri Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).
A breakdown of the total miles of hedgerows reinstated and planted through NRF is not routinely collected and any information about hedgerows is gathered under a more general ‘habitat’ metric, therefore this data cannot be provided.
The total miles of hedgerow that have been reinstated and planted through AECS, in each year, is set out in the following table. There was no hedgerow creation in 2022 as the restricted round in 2021 did not include the hedgerow options.
| | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
Planted - Creation of hedgerows (miles) | 41 | 43 | 57 | 64 | 99 | 3 | 79 |
Reinstated - Restoration of existing hedgerows (miles) | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
Please note, the figures above are what was committed to through AECS contracts. This capital item’s unit of measurement is linear metres, and the conversion rate used was 1 metre = 0.00062137 miles.
