- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it owns the site of the former hotel at Carrick Castle, and, if (a) so, what its current plans are for the site and (b) not, for what reason the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey site register states that it does.
Answer
The site of the former hotel at Carrick Castle, Lochgoilhead, is not owned by Scottish Government as per the Vacant and Derelict Land Register. This has been uploaded in error and steps are being taken to update the Register. The site is privately owned.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria were used in the reported decision not to include two NHS Scotland surgeons on its task and finish group for making recommendations on improving abortion care.
Answer
The Task and Finish Group was established by the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland Planning and Delivery Board. In line with other Task and Finish Groups, NHS Board regional lead Chief Executives were asked to nominate regional representatives with a range of experience to sit on this Group. Therefore the Scottish Government was not directly involved in determining who should join the Group.
However, the Scottish Government expects that the Group members will engage with a range of staff in their region and other stakeholders where appropriate. Task and Finish groups may create subgroups of the main group, including inviting clinicians with specific training and/or experience, where they require specific clinical expertise or knowledge to help inform the final model.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is of providing methadone treatment.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
Public Health Scotland publishes a yearly report named the ‘Prescription Cost Analysis’ which outlines annual total expenditure on all prescriptions from community pharmacy in Scotland. British National Formulary chapter 4 includes methadone and buprenorphine (also known by its brand name Buvidal) and the cost of prescribing these drugs can be found on tab 4 of the PCA at Dispenser payments and prescription cost analysis - Financial year 2023 to 2024 - Dispenser payments and prescription cost analysis - Publications - Public Health Scotland.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) pharmacists and (b) pharmacy technicians have registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland as independent clinics since the coming into force of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (Independent Health Care) Modification Order 2024 on 19 June 2024.
Answer
This information is not held by the Scottish Government however Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) have advised that since pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were added to the definition of an independent clinic on 19 June 2024, four pharmacists led independent clinics are now registered with HIS and five are in the process of registration. There are no pharmacy technician led independent clinics registered or in the process of registration.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide statistical data on bus usage in the last 10 years, broken down by year to compare the number of (a) journeys, (b) passengers, (c) miles travelled, (d) number of services and (e) quantity of public buses on the roads.
Answer
The number of public service vehicles, passenger journeys, and distance travelled by local bus services are published each year within Transport Scotland's Scottish Transport Statistics publication. The most recent version of the bus tables can be found at https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/ea2pp3vv/sts-chapter-02-bus-and-coach-travel-reference-tables-accessible.xls.
The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of bus services. This information is held by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, with the most recent figures included in the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain Annual Report 2023-24 available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-commissioners-annual-report-2023-to-2024.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of working age adults with neurodevelopmental conditions are unemployed in Scotland.
Answer
Scotland’s Census 2022 results show that around 11,000 people aged 16-64 who had ‘one or more learning disability, learning difficulty or developmental disorder’ were unemployed in 2022. This was 5.7% of all people aged 16-64 with one or more learning disability, learning difficulty or developmental disorder in 2022.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the detailed Project Willow report by EY-Parthenon, what its
position is on whether the A9 dualling project is necessary to enable the
delivery of the nine projects identified in the Project Willow report.
Answer
Dualling of the A9 will improve connectivity of the Highlands with the Central Belt of Scotland, reducing journey times and improving journey time reliability. Whilst dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness is likely to support delivery of some of the projects identified in the Project Willow report, where those entail transportation of materials by road to or from the Highlands, it is unlikely that dualling would be necessary for delivery of those projects.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it, its agencies, or anyone acting on its behalf have had discussions with parties outwith Scotland regarding treating municipal biodegradable waste after 31 December 2025.
Answer
The treatment and disposal of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) is the responsibility of those who collect this material – local authorities and private businesses.
However, as part of the Government-commission report published in October 2024 ("Landfill Ban Assurance Study"), commentary was provided on residual waste markets external to Scotland and their "capability to contribute towards managing any capacity deficit in Scotland from 2026".
Officials continue to work with waste sector partners, including local authorities on these matters.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) there is disposal capacity to treat all biodegradable municipal waste and (b) all biodegradable municipal waste will be treated in Scotland in 2026.
Answer
In October 2024, a report commissioned by the Scottish Government projected an initial treatment capacity shortfall for residual waste in Scotland of 600,000 tonnes when the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste commences on 31 December 2025.
However, alongside further measures to reduce waste and promote recycling, the construction of planned infrastructure continues, helping to address this temporary gap; and available projections continue to indicate before turning into an estimated capacity surplus from 2027.
Officials continue to work with waste sector partners, including local authorities on these matters.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many diagnostic appointments have been cancelled due to staff shortages in each of the last three years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. More detailed information on cancelled appointments will be held locally by NHS boards.