- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how its next cancer strategy and earlier diagnosis vision will address any health inequalities and promote equitable access to cancer services.
Answer
As set out in our public consultation we are considering how to address health inequalities and promote equitable access to cancer services. We have outlined ‘reducing inequalities’ as one of our main aims in the consultation. With over 250 responses received we have now commissioned independent analysis of the responses and anticipate the results to be published shortly. The results will inform the cancer strategy.
In addition, we held a series of workshops with patients and key stakeholders in September 2022 to help us gain further insight into the consultation responses and hear directly about peoples’ experiences of cancer and inform the development of the cancer strategy.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it took up any offer from the UK Government to discuss the findings of the Union Connectivity Review.
Answer
The final Union Connectivity Review (UCR) Report was published in November 2021.
In March 2022, Transport Scotland officials had discussions with their UK Government counterparts at the Department for Transport (DfT) at which the findings of the UCR were discussed. Transport Scotland also provided an update on the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) which had been published in January 2022, in particular Recommendation 40, which relates to the A75 and A77.
Discussions have continued on the subject of possible related funding opportunities for development work on the A75 and the next scheduled meeting between officials is on 31 October.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has applied for funding from the UK Government to undertake initial work on upgrading the A75.
Answer
The UK Government has to-date not committed any funding for design or development work on the A75, as, along with all other transport recommendations identified by the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, it remains a devolved matter.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to working with stakeholder groups, such as the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, to ensure that the Scottish legal system is fully accessible for those seeking to defend the environment, in time for the deadline set out by the UNECE Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention decision VII/8s of 1 October 2024.
Answer
The Scottish Government is always happy to work with stakeholders and fully intends to continue to engage with environmental stakeholder groups going forward. Officials have met with the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland a number of times, most recently on 12 October, and will continue to engage with them and other stakeholders as we look to strengthen our compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has applied for from the UK Government to put towards scoping work on the A75.
Answer
Improvements to the A75 were proposed as part of the UK Government’s Union Connectivity Review (UCR) and an offer of potential funding has been made from its Union Connectivity Development Fund.
To date, the UK Government has not committed any funding for design or development work on the A75, as, along with all other transport recommendations identified by STPR2, it remains a devolved matter.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement the recommendations of the UNECE Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention decision VII/8s by the deadline of 1 October 2024.
Answer
The implications of the recommendations of decision VII/8s are being considered and work is ongoing to strengthen compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. A number of strands of work are being undertaken in relation to a review of the court rules governing Protective Expenses Orders, a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland which will include a commitment to a right to a healthy environment, and consideration of Legal Aid Reform in the course of this Parliament. The Scottish Government has already introduced an exemption from court fees for environmental 'Aarhus' cases brought in the Court of Session. In terms of the recommendations that relate directly to unauthorised development within the UK, we are working with the other UK administrations to assess the options and identify appropriate actions.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to environmental organisations, including Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, who referred to its contributions to the UK Plan of action for decision VII/8s of the UNECE Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, as "woefully inadequate".
Answer
The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee has previously welcomed significant progress made by Scotland in strengthening compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. Work is in progress or planned in relation to the areas of concern which were raised in decision VII/8s. The Scottish Civil Justice Council has been asked to undertake a review of court rules relating to Protective Expenses Orders, and this is currently underway. Following a public consultation which closed in March this year the Scottish Government has introduced an exemption for court fees for Aarhus Convention cases in the Court of Session. This exemption is now in force. Work is underway on planning for a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland, which will include a commitment to a right to a healthy environment. The Scottish Government is committed to introducing legislation to reform legal aid in the course of the current Parliament, informed by ongoing engagement with stakeholders. The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the fireworks licensing scheme.
Answer
The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in June of this year and received Royal Assent on 10 August.
Work is underway to implement the measures within the Act. Firework licensing, Part 2 of the Act, requires secondary legislation and the development of an appropriate licensing system as part of implementation. The licensing system will therefore not be in place until late 2023/early 2024 at the earliest.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when the risk review group investigating failed assessments of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory is due to report.
Answer
Since the Level of Service Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) IT errors were identified three forms of review have been underway:
- Open cases review
- Risk Management Authority review
- IT review
Letters have been submitted to the Criminal Justice Committee on 3 March 2022, 12 May 2022, 28 June 2022, and 27 September 2022, providing updates on these three review elements.
The Risk Management Authority review is not looking at “failed assessments”. They are exploring impact from the known system error in relation to risk and scoring. Part of that review is an assessment of possible material impact, as it is a feature of risk assessment that much more than one IT system output goes into the risk assessment process.
With the caveat that the review work has to be led by what is found at each phase, it is currently anticipated that phase 3 of this work will conclude in November 2022 and report thereafter.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 1 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the senior leaders who will "take responsibility for driving the necessary changes and reporting on progress" of the implementation of the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards, as announced by the Minister for Drugs Policy to the Parliament on 23 June 2022, have now been appointed by local authority chief executives and chief officers, and whether it will publish the name and position of each local authority's responsible senior leader.
Answer
In the letter of direction I issued to delivery partners on 23 June 2022 on implementing the MAT Standards, I asked for timed, specific plans for implementing the standards to be submitted and published. I also requested a lead officer be nominated to take responsibility for driving the necessary changes and reporting on progress for each area across the country.
I can confirm that a lead officer has been nominated by delivery partners for each of their Health and Social Care Partnership areas.
We are now scrutinising the submitted Implementation Plans to ensure they will deliver the standards and, we will be asking each area to publish their plans, which will detail the position of lead officers for each area.