- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether an evaluation of the plan, Mental Health – Scotland’s Transition and Recovery, has been produced; if not, whether one will be, and how many of the actions from the plan have been achieved.
Answer
Delivery of the actions set out in our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan is ongoing. Since publication we have undertaken a wide range of activity to help people deal with the mental health effects of the pandemic. That includes, for example, working with local authorities to establish new community mental health and wellbeing services for children, continuing to support the roll-out of computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and providing ongoing support for the Clear Your Head campaign.
A £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund was announced in February to support the Plan. So far over £50 million has been allocated from the Fund. This includes allocations of £40 million to improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. We are currently allocating the remainder of the fund and will make further announcements in the coming weeks.
I will update Parliament on progress against the Transition and Recovery Plan in the months ahead.
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of most COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, what its guidance is for employers regarding pregnant women past 28 weeks, and whether the guidance to allow them to work from home where possible, or be suspended on unpaid leave where it is not, remains in place.
Answer
The coronavirus guidance for pregnant employees and employers is published at www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees , and applies in all four UK countries. The guidance supports discussions between employees, employers and occupational health teams on how best to ensure health and safety for pregnant women in the workplace at any gestation, and recommends a more precautionary approach for women who are 28 weeks pregnant and beyond. As with all coronavirus guidance, this is regularly updated in light of new information and evidence in relation to the virus.
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Racial Inequality and Mental Health in Scotland: A call to action.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03286 on 1 October 2021. 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: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress SEPA has made in "driving all remaining businesses not yet meeting set standards into full compliance with the environmental laws in Scotland", as set out in the foreword to the agency's regulatory strategy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03232 on 4 October 2021 which is 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: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many SEPA staff have been unable to undertake their duties each month following the cyber-attack on 24 December 2020.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03232 on 4 October 2021 which is 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: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of SEPA staff are actively involved in site inspection and compliance assessment, and whether this has changed since the cyber-attack on 24 December 2020.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03232 on 4 October 2021 which is 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: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to develop a dedicated framework to support businesses to report and act on nature-related risks, and what funding it has committed to such work.
Answer
The Scottish Government is engaging with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) a market-led, UN supported, international initiative, which builds on the model developed by the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and aims to create a framework for how organisations can address environmental risks and opportunities. We are supportive of the objectives of this work, and will ensure that there is effective coordination with Scottish Government policies.
The Scottish Government is committed to reducing the impact of Scotland’s consumption on nature and societies, including our impacts in other countries. This is an outcome sought by our Environment Strategy, and our progress was discussed in the 2020 report Scotland and the sustainable development goals: a national review to drive action. Reducing the impact of our consumption on the natural environment is an important driver of our work to create a more circular economy. The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners and through our own policies and legislative proposals to reduce the impacts on and risks to nature from consumption in Scotland.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what the impact would be of including a re-melt target for glass collected under the forthcoming deposit return scheme.
Answer
As per the answer to question S5W-33510 on 2 December 2020, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Full Business Case ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-scotland-full-business-case-stage-1/ ) was developed on the basis of glass being collected whole under Scotland’s DRS. Glass collected whole is suitable for re-melt, subject to minimal handling losses.
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: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment in the Programme for Government that “Current plans are to fully dual the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen; however, we will undertake a transparent, evidence-based review of that, to include a climate compatibility assessment to assess direct and indirect impacts on the climate and the environment, reporting by the end of 2022”, what the current expected date is for the upgrade work to begin, and what impact the planned review has had on this date.
Answer
Delivery of any section of the programme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many times SEPA has reported environmental incidents to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service under the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 in each year since its enactment, and how many subsequent (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03232 on 4 October 2021 which is 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 .