- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the current average distance is that patients have to travel to access a dentist in the NHS (a) Highland and (b) Western Isles area.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. NHS dental services are provided by independent contractors/high street dentists and any management information on waiting times will be held by each practice. There is no central consolidation of this information.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns regarding the health and safety of workers and poor environmental management practices in connection with allegations that Scottish Power has used diesel generators to power 71 wind turbines after a fault developed.
Answer
The rules and regulations that govern the resilience of the GB electricity grid are a matter entirely reserved to the UK Government.
The Scottish Government has no responsibility in relation to the operational management of wind farm sites.
Scottish Power Renewables have told Scottish Government officials that their management systems are accredited to ISO standards and that they have established a working group to consider alternatives to diesel.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to identify and deliver sustainable new uses for historic NHS-owned properties that are currently on the Buildings at Risk Register.
Answer
We are fully supportive of the need to properly maintain and invest in our existing estate. This is why we are committed to doubling our annual funding for maintenance over the capital spending review period. This means that we will invest around £1 billion in enhancing or refurbishing existing health facilities, and updating and modernising medical equipment that is essential for delivering high quality medical services. However, it is for NHS Boards locally, to determine how that resource will be invested and it is for them to decide how they will manage property on the Buildings at Risk Register.
The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. This support allows Historic Environment Scotland to publish advice and guidance on its website which enables the owners of traditional and historic properties in Scotland to make informed choices about the options available to them.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an impact assessment of its presumption against new oil fields on oil and gas jobs in Aberdeen, and, if so, on what date.
Answer
As the draft Strategy sets out, irrespective of the climate imperative, due to the maturity of the North Sea basin, planning for a just transition to a net zero energy system and diversifying employment and economic opportunities for workers is essential. Scotland’s energy transformation is therefore urgent and inevitable.
In establishing a renewed policy position on oil and gas, whilst licensing is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is consulting on whether, in order to support the fastest possible and most effective just transition, there should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas.
The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan is an open consultation and as such requires statutory assessments to be undertaken. Some assessments have already been published and the others will be available with the final document.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many referrals have been made to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s Long COVID Support Service in each month since it was established.
Answer
This is a matter for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has spent £187,547 (£225,058 including VAT) on administering the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme over the period 2019 to 2023, as set out in the following table. This funding has helped to install various measures across private rented properties, including many types of insulation, double glazing and air source heat pumps.
Energy efficiency and zero direct emissions heating is a priority for the Scottish Government to tackle low energy performance, to help to make the heating bills of those living in those homes more affordable and to make the homes warmer and greener.
2019-2020 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
£0 | £74,022 (ex VAT) £88,827 (inc. VAT) | £58,450 (ex VAT) £70,140 (inc. VAT) | £55,075 (ex VAT) £66,091 (inc. VAT) |
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any implications for nurses working in Scotland, on whether the title of "nurse" should be protected in law.
Answer
Regulation of the nursing profession is reserved to the U.K. Parliament. Making the word “nurse” a protected title in law is problematic due to its historical use in a broader context than today’s graduate profession, as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Such protection would require an amendment to the Nursing and Midwifery Order (2001). SG is working closely with DHSC on a programme to modernise regulation of healthcare professions and the protection of titles will be carefully considered within this agenda.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14359 by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of any actions that it has taken to ensure that manufacturing work to construct reverse vending machines for the Deposit Return Scheme is completed by Scottish companies.
Answer
In line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. It is therefore the responsibility of individual businesses to procure any Reverse Vending Machines they may require.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the (a) Diffley Partnership report, Understanding Scotland – Economy, published in February 2023 and (b) finding that healthcare and the NHS were top priorities for survey respondents.
Answer
The Scottish Government notes the findings from the Diffley Partnership report on Understanding Scotland - Economy.
The survey shows that Healthcare and the NHS has remained a high priority for survey respondents in recent years and has now overtaken the Cost of Living / Inflation as the top priority.
Improving access to healthcare is a key priority for this government. Our 2023-24 Scottish Health Budget provides record funding of over £19 billion, providing new investment of over £1 billion and supporting recovery and reform to secure sustainable public services.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many new applications have been made to the Independent Living Fund in each year since 2015.
Answer
As the inherited Independent Living Fund (2015 Fund) is a closed scheme, no new applications have been made since 2015. The following provides information on the number of applications to ILF Scotland’s Transition Fund since launch in December 2017.
Year | Number of Transition Fund Applications |
2017-18 | 128 |
2018-19 | 831 |
2019-20 | 1,337 |
2020-21 | 1,828 |
2021-22 | 2,276 |
2022-23 | 2,870 |
Note: 2017-18 and 2022-23 are part years. Full year estimate for 2022-23 is in excess of 3,000 |