Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-13737

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.

The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.

Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-13674

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include suicide prevention as part of the school curriculum.

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide.

We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide which approaches they use to help them deliver relevant and engaging learning.

Schools are encouraged to develop the curriculum to suit their local context and meet the needs of children and young people, this can include delivering learning on suicide prevention. It is good practice for schools to consult with children and young people and respond to their views appropriately, to ensure this meets the needs of all children and young people in the school or educational setting.

Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub contains resources and learning for school staff to support young people in relation to self-harm and suicide. In addition, in June 2021, we published an online professional learning resource aimed at school staff to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The resource includes a section on suicide.

Question reference: S6W-13667

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.

The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.

Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-13657

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any additional cost of living pressures experienced by residents in Edinburgh.

There has been no specific assessment by the Scottish Government of the additional cost of living pressures experienced by residents in Edinburgh. However, in November 2022 the Scottish Government published a report: ‘The Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland: Analytical Report’ which drew together analysis to provide an overview of emerging evidence on the cost of living crisis. Although the report didn’t specifically look at the impact on Edinburgh residents it did identify, at a national level, those low income households who will be most negatively affected by the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government is continuing to monitor the cost of living crisis closely and has announced a number of measures to support households, including residents in Edinburgh. This includes introducing emergency legislation to put in place a rent freeze, increasing the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) and doubling both the Fuel Insecurity Fund and the December 2022 SCP Bridging Payment.

Question reference: S6W-13666

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on alcohol-related harms and other public health impacts in Scotland of alcohol duty freezes.

Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.

We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-13669

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on alcohol-related harms and other public health impacts in Scotland of alcohol duty freezes.

Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.

We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-13675

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include bereavement issues as part of the school curriculum.

The health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government.

We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide which approaches they use to help them deliver relevant and engaging learning.

The curriculum already provides opportunities for teachers to deliver learning and teaching on bereavement and loss. One of the health and wellbeing “experiences and outcomes” ensures that young people are learning skills and strategies which will support them in challenging times, particularly in relation to change and loss.

In addition, Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub contains resources for schools to support them in delivering learning and teaching on bereavement issues.

Question reference: S6T-01104

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by Prostate Cancer UK regarding reported figures showing that men in Scotland are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer too late for it to be successfully treated than in any other part of the UK.

Question reference: S6T-01103

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by the Chief Inspector of the Constabulary that some Police Scotland officers lack empathy and show outdated attitudes in domestic abuse cases.

Question reference: S6F-01736

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the report, Closing the Accountability Gap, published by National Autistic Society Scotland.

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