- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people who have resettled in Scotland through the (a) Syrian Resettlement Programme and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme are still currently living in temporary accommodation.
Answer
Scotland is committed to playing our part in welcoming and supporting all Asylum Seekers, Refugees and displaced people.
The UK’s Syrian Resettlement Programme, also known as the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), ended in March 2021. The programme matched people with accommodation identified by local authorities prior to their arrival in the UK. All 32 of Scotland’s local authorities participated in the programme, supporting 3,328 refugees to settle in communities across the country.
All 32 local authorities have also confirmed their participation in Afghanistan Relocation and Resettlement Schemes. So far, there have been 127 families (520 individuals) relocated to 20 Scottish local authorities.
It is the Home Office who have responsibility for hotel accommodation for Afghan families across the UK. Its data currently shows that there are 12,000 people in hotels across the UK.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to help GPs to identify the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder.
Answer
During Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2022, we welcomed the training offer that Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, has developed to ensure that our future workforce feels confident to support anyone who comes forward with concerns about disordered eating.
We were also pleased to announce additional funding for Beat which includes Beyond the Symptoms training for GPs and healthcare professionals. This supports them to identify when a patient has an eating disorder and confidently intervene early. This funding was in addition to the £5 million additional investment to support those with eating disorders in 2021-22.
More generally, our Programme of Government commits to ensuring that by 2026 each GP Practice will have access to a mental health and wellbeing service; creating 1,000 additional dedicated staff who can help grow community mental health resilience and direct social prescribing.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to increase the number of people that receive treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism following diagnosis.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with hypothyroidism are able to access the best possible support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.
We expect clinicians to adhere to current guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment options from authoritative sources such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the British Thyroid Association (BTA).
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much has been spent on providing temporary accommodation for anyone requiring it in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer
As set out in the response to S6W-06821 on 10 March 2022, the vast majority of homelessness funding provided to local authorities in the annual local government finance settlements since 1999 has been included in the block grant. It is at each local authority’s discretion as to how they use this resource to prevent and respond to homelessness, which includes providing temporary accommodation. This has been supplemented in recent years by additional, identifiable resource as follows:
Financial year | Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans | Homelessness Support |
2017-18 | £0m | £22.5m |
2018-19 | £2m | £23.5m |
2019-20 | £8m | £23.5m |
2020-21 | £8m | £23.5m |
2021-22 | £8m | £23.5m |
2022-23 | £8m | £23.5m |
Total | £34m | £140.0m |
Housing Benefit covers the costs of temporary accommodation for individuals who are in and out of work, as long as their income is not too high.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the consistency and reliability of data on delivery and funding of Frank’s Law across all local authorities.
Answer
Data on the number of people under the age of 65 receiving Free Personal Care and expenditure on personal care by local authorities is collected through the Scottish Government Quarterly Monitoring Return . The data is quality assured and sent back to local authorities for additional validation prior to publication.
Information on the number of people aged 65+ receiving Free Personal Care has been collected since 2002; however, in 2019-20 the Quarterly Monitoring Return was extended to cover people aged 18 – 64 following the implementation of Frank’s Law. Information on the expenditure on personal care delivered at home was also requested and the frequency of collection was changed from annually to quarterly.
We will review this collection now that the expanded data has been collected for multiple years. This will involve working with local authorities to determine what is possible to collect; how to improve the consistency and quality of information; whether the resource burden of completing the collection is proportionate; whether alternative sources are available and would be more appropriate; and to assess ongoing data requirements.
The data for 2021-22 is currently out for collection and is due to be returned at the end of June. Therefore, the review work will take place later in 2022, following quality assurance of the 2021-22 data.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its nursery recruitment targets.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take, in light of recent reports that nearly £2 million in Pupil Equity Funding has been spent on police officers in schools since 2018.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to tackle the reported growing use of locum staff in the NHS.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022
To ask the First Minister, in light of summer officially commencing next week on 21 June, what action the Scottish Government is taking to promote responsible access to Scotland’s countryside.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's analysis is of the potential risks to Scotland’s economy of the UK Government's proposed legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022