- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how a complaint can be raised when private care homes are believed not to be providing proper services.
Answer
Anyone concerned about the standard of care provided by a registered service can raise a complaint with the Care Inspectorate, the independent scrutiny and improvement body for social care and social work across Scotland. The Care Inspectorate have a statutory duty to deal with complaints made about registered care services, including private care homes. Complaints upheld are published on the Care Inspectorate’s website.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to help address the so-called digital divide.
Answer
Since May 2020, the Scottish Government has invested over £48 million in our Connecting Scotland programme, which provides people on low incomes with a device, connection with unlimited data for two years, as well as training and support. Since programme launch 60,000 digitally excluded people in total have been brought online. We are now working on an extension to the programme to reach 300,000 people by the end of this Parliament.
The programme is part of our wider package of support to help everyone in Scotland benefit fully from the advantages of the digital world – from broadband connectivity to digital skills training and support for schools and business.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates ministers have met Heathrow Airport since 8 October 2020, which cabinet secretary is currently attending the meetings at six-monthly intervals, and whether it will publish copies of the minutes of these meetings and correspondence since 8 October 2020.
Answer
Mr Dey met with Heathrow Airport on the 23 September 2021 and the note of this meeting has been published in response to the freedom of information request FOI/202100255769, which can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100255769/
This response included a list of all the meetings, calls and correspondence between Scottish Ministers and representatives of Heathrow Airport which have taken place in 2021 until 16 November 2021.
As the Minister for Transport, I will be attending the future meetings with Heathrow Airport on the memorandum of understanding.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30445 by Michael Matheson on 5 August 2020, whether it will provide an update on its position regarding whether the number of short-haul flights across the UK should be increased.
Answer
Our geography means that air travel plays an important role in providing connectivity within Scotland and to other parts of the UK. It is particularly important to our island communities, enabling access to services and helping deliver our National Islands Plan. In addition, on some domestic routes, flying is a lower emission option than the quickest alternative.
Hydrogen/electric aircraft have the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of domestic aviation and as part of our work to develop an Aviation Strategy we asked for views on how we can best work in partnership with industry to have low/zero-emission domestic air services which meet the needs of communities and help deliver sustainable economic growth. We are now in the process of analysing responses.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value and (b) duration is of each contract that it has signed with Ernst and Young in connection with the Scottish ferries network since 1 January 2015.
Answer
The value and duration of the contracts the Scottish Government has signed with Ernst & Young in connection with the Scottish ferries network since 1 January 2015 are listed below:
Project Neptune - £156,000 – 2021-2022
Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services: Financial Support - £404,000 – 2015-end of CHFS contract .
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) Community Needs and (b) Market Assessments have been carried out to date on Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service routes.
Answer
Community Needs Assessments were carried out for all routes included in the 2012 Ferries Plan and will be updated alongside the Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP). We have commenced work to support the following live investment projects;
Mallaig – Lochboisdale Vessel Replacement Project
Oban – Craignure
Gourock – Dunoon – Kilcreggan
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any plans to receive any refugees from Ukraine.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-00553 on 1 March 2022. Answers to Topical Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report .
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding brain tumours, what the average waiting time has been (a) for diagnosis and (b) from diagnosis to the start of treatment, in each year from 2017.
Answer
Brain and Central Nervous System cancer waiting times were part of the extending tumour site audit and were introduced into Cancer Waiting Times reporting for 2013 only. Since then, boards have not been required to submit these data. NHS boards may hold this data locally, PHS does not hold the data centrally.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how much funding did each project receive and (b) how many jobs were created by each project as a result of the 2020 round of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04826 on 13 December 2021. 26 Projects received recommendations of support totalling up to £24,145,384 as result the 2020 round of the fund. A list of all projects recommended to date can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/regeneration-capital-grant-fund-rcgf-recommended-projects-2014-2022/
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: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support will be available to residents in properties that are not in a council tax band that qualifies for a council tax reduction, and what assistance it will provide to help them in meeting their energy bills.
Answer
The Scottish Government will be providing a £150 cost of living award to all households in council tax bands A to D, including those who are not receiving a reduction under the Council Tax Reduction scheme. Local authorities will also be provided with funds from which to make £150 payments to certain categories of low income households which are exempt from council tax, including those accessing housing support services or living in temporary accommodation. In addition, we are providing an extra £10m to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund to help households at risk of self-disconnection, or self-rationing energy use.