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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-10395

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that adequate public research is undertaken to quantify the risk and probability of the spread of giardiasis, so-called beaver fever, before any reintroduction of beavers into freshwater communities.

To date Giardia has not been found in any beavers in Scotland, though targeted testing has been carried out on both live animals and carcasses in Tayside as well as in Knapdale.

Although beavers can carry this parasite the EPIC report published in 2017 points to other sources of environmental contamination being equally or more likely to be a source of Giardia infection. Humans, livestock and wild animals are all potential sources of Giardia. EPIC conclude ‘the reintroduction of beavers is likely to present a very small additional risk as the number of beavers excreting these organisms will be likely to be small relative to the large number of wild, domestic and livestock animals and humans which contribute to existing public health risk’.

NatureScot continue to carry out general health screening to ensure that beavers released under licence from NatureScot are not acting as a source of disease prior to any translocations.

Question reference: S6W-10384

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals died from alcohol-related liver disease in (a) North Ayrshire and (b) Inverclyde in each year since 2016.

Table 1 – deaths from alcohol liver disease (ICD-10 K70) in Inverclyde and North Ayrshire, 2016 to 2021

	yr
	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
	N	N	N	N	N	N

Inverclyde	14	14	12	18	21	15
North Ayrshire	27	27	24	33	33	26
All	41	41	36	51	54	41

Source: National Records of Scotland

Causes of death categorised using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, 10th Edition (ICD-10). Alcoholic liver disease classified as ICD-10 code K70. Geographical breakdown based on local authority of residence of the deceased.

Question reference: S6W-10251

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09483 by Lorna Slater on the 21 July 2022, and in light of the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport when giving evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on the Scottish Budget 2022-23 on 1 February 2022, what information it has on whether Zero Waste Scotland has plans in place to secure private funding once European Structural and Investment Funds come to an end.

Zero Waste Scotland strategy is to maximise the impact of investment in the circular economy and to partner across private and public sectors. This aims to leverage funding opportunities, and to increase co-investment and partnership models to support and to continue to deliver value across circular economy initiatives.

ZWS is also undertaking multi-party engagement with Scottish Government and Scottish Business Climate Collaboration (SBCC) which is 50:50 funded by public funds and SBCC and is working with several businesses to develop business cases for circular initiatives that will then be funded and delivered by companies themselves. In addition co-investment models have been developed with Social Investment Scotland to create a Net Zero Transition Fund for third sector organisations.

Question reference: S6W-10250

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Zero Waste Scotland would be able to provide independent advice to the Scottish Government on the circular economy and other matters in the event that it would also be in receipt of private sector funding.

Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is an independent not-for-profit company, which is able to locate, apply for and accept funding from a range of sources. As an evidence-led organisation, any expertise and/or advice ZWS provide to Scottish Government would be based on balanced outputs from research by sector specific policy experts.

ZWS is a key delivery partner for the Scottish Government in relation to circular economy policy and it would be for Scottish Government to decide on whether to use the organisations advice in development of policies.

Question reference: S6W-10595

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £50 million COVID-19 funding that was provided to support NHS dentistry, in addition to the £5 million of funding for ventilation improvements, £7.5 million for the purchase of new speed adjusting hand pieces, and £35 million of PPE, has all been allocated and spent, and, if not, how much remains unallocated or unspent to date.

Scottish Government has provided an unprecedented level of financial support throughout the pandemic to support NHS dentistry. The £50 million of COVID-19 funding was provided directly to NHS dental contractors through the financial support payments. Alongside this, practices have received £35 million of free PPE to support the provision of NHS dentistry.

In addition, £5 million of funding for ventilation improvements and £7.5 million for speed adjusting hand pieces, was made available to NHS practitioners to support recovery and help increase capacity within practices providing NHS dental services. This scope for this funding was subsequently expanded to allow practices to claim for repairs and replacement of a range of dental equipment. This funding was allocated to Health Boards and practices were advised of the process for claiming funding if they wished to submit an application.

Question reference: S6W-10218

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any COVID-19 vaccine wastage.

The Scottish Government works closely with the NHS to minimise vaccine wastage and reviews wastage statistics regularly. COVID-19 vaccine wastage data for Scotland is published by Public Health Scotland via both the COVID-19 Statistical Report and online dashboard which is updated on a monthly basis with the latest available information.

The published data includes a breakdown of vaccine doses wasted per month, the total number of doses administered, and additional analysis on the reasons behind this.

Question reference: S6T-00844

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm whether Hull 801 will be delivered by May 2023 and Hull 802 by December 2023 and within the latest cost to complete budget of £123 million.

Question reference: S6T-00841

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to the report, Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2021, which was published on 28 July 2022.

Question reference: S6F-01338

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2022

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of overtime in Scotland’s NHS.

Question reference: S6F-01341

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2022

To ask the First Minister what further steps the Scottish Government will take to support tenants facing the cost of living crisis.