- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers have benefitted from the Beef Efficiency Scheme since 2018.
Answer
The following table displays the number of farmers who received funding from the Beef Efficiency Scheme from 2018. The majority of applicants started in 2016 and received payments for the first three years. Those starting in 2017 received their final payment in the 2019 Scheme year.
Year | No of farmers | Funding |
2018 | 1,448 | £4,055,193.48 |
2019 | 108 | £226,157.75 |
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on repairs to the entire CalMac fleet in each calendar year since 2018.
Answer
We recognise the key role that ferry services play in supporting the economic, social and cultural development of island and remote mainland communities. We continue to invest in maintenance of the current ferry fleet, alongside our programme of new build and port investments.
The maintenance costs for the CalMac fleet in the period of the request are as follows.
Contract Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Oct 16-Sept 17 | Oct 17-Sept 18 | Oct 18-Sept 19 | Oct 19-Sept 20 | Oct 20-Sept 21 |
| | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 |
TOTAL | 14,063 | 18,254 | 15,723 | 18,359 | 17,262 |
| |
The figures include all maintenance and repair costs including costs of annual dry-docks from the year 2018.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of sheep worrying have been recorded in North Ayrshire in each year since 2019.
Answer
Information on cases of sheep worrying is not held centrally in the format requested.
Information is available on the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 – which relates to dogs worrying livestock on agricultural land (table below). However, as this legislation applies to all forms of livestock, these figures are not available for specific types of animal.
Table 1: Offences of Protection of Livestock from Dogs, North Ayrshire, 2018-19 to 2020-21.
| | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
North Ayrshire | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2020-21.
- Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that tenants’ unions will be represented on the proposed tenant participation panel.
Answer
Initial work is underway to support the establishment of a PRS tenant participation panel. The first phase of this work is focusing on hearing from PRS tenants in developing our draft Rented Sector Strategy consultation document. As part of this, we are working in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and through the Tenants Information Service and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service exploring tenants’ priorities for change.
This initial work, alongside engagement with tenant organisations, including tenants’ unions, such as Living Rent who the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with in September, will help to inform the longer term establishment of the panel and recruit participants.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many social care staff who are eligible for their COVID-19 booster vaccine have received this dose, and by what date all social care staff will have received their COVID-19 booster vaccine.
Answer
Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.
1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.
Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of eligible patients will have received their COVID-19 booster vaccine by 31 December 2021.
Answer
Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.
1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.
Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported outbreak of avian influenza in Angus, for what reason there is not routine vaccination against this virus in Scotland.
Answer
The vaccination of poultry and captive birds against avian influenza is not currently permitted. Vaccination is not a routine preventative measure and is a practice prohibited by legislation. There is limited experimental evidence available on the effectiveness of vaccination of poultry and other captive birds against avian influenza, and its varying strains, and there are no vaccines currently available that would guarantee the immune responses required.
If vaccinations were to be applied, there is a danger that they could ‘mask’ the occurrence of disease in a farm, delaying its detection. A poorly applied vaccination programme could even lead to the persistence of disease, whilst vaccinated birds may still be capable of transmitting the virus. Further concerns are that a vaccination programme could have trading implications with EU/third countries.
New developments in avian influenza vaccinations and their potential use are continually being considered and appraised, however, currently the proven effective preventative measure against avian influenza remains the application of on-site biosecurity, which is of fundamental importance to the avian influenza prevention and control strategy for Scotland.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 23 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Drugs Policy on 26 October 2021 that there will be a "rapid review of the services that are required to support people who experience mental health and substance use problems" (Official Report, c. 69), who will carry out the review; whether it will provide further details of the review’s remit, and when it anticipates (a) the review will be completed and (b) a report will be published.
Answer
This rapid review will be carried out by people with clinical expertise and will set out expectations for the delivery of support for people who experience mental health and substance use problems. It will involve key stakeholders and be led by the views of people with lived and living experience. The remit of the review will include, but is not limited to, the following:
- The provision of assessment and specialist support for people who experience a dual diagnosis of a mental health condition alongside their substance use problem;
- The delivery of psychosocial support to people with substance use problems in settings which include third sector and primary care;
- The impact of additional, multiple and severe disadvantages on the need for, and delivery of, appropriate mental health and substance use services.
The review will be completed and a report will be published in late Autumn 2022.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it will confirm the date for the removal of the requirement for EWS1 forms, and their replacement with Scottish Government-funded Single Building Assessments.
Answer
The EWS1 certificate was developed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) along with UK Finance and the Building Societies Association (BSA). It is not a Government form, nor is it a legal requirement. The initial phase of the Single Building Assessment program is ongoing, which will be followed by the national roll-out.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 23 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Drugs Policy on 26 October regarding holistic support for families (Official Report, c. 69), how much of the £3.5 million of funding for the current financial year has been allocated to each alcohol and drug partnership to support the mental health and wellbeing of family members affected by drug use.
Answer
As part of our national mission to reduce drug related deaths and improve lives, we have provided Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) with £3.5 million per year to support the implementation of the Whole Family Approach Framework. This will improve holistic family support for anyone affected by harms from drug or alcohol use.
Table 1 shows how much of this funding has been allocated to each ADP, advised to ADPs by letter on 17 June 2021.
Table 1:
*Figures have been rounded.
Alcohol and Drug Partnership | Allocation (£) |
Aberdeen City | 133,437 |
Aberdeenshire | 147,380 |
Angus | 75,617 |
Argyll and Bute | 66,566 |
Clackmannanshire and Stirling | 89,794 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 104,719 |
Dundee City | 101,420 |
East Ayrshire | 83,642 |
East Dunbartonshire | 64,896 |
East Lothian | 65,061 |
East Renfrewshire | 55,698 |
Edinburgh | 292,849 |
Falkirk | 100,797 |
Fife | 238,447 |
Glasgow City | 417,575 |
Highland | 164,162 |
Inverclyde | 57,076 |
Midlothian | 56,362 |
Moray | 60,013 |
North Ayrshire | 95,016 |
North Lanarkshire | 222,004 |
Orkney Islands | 17,546 |
Perth and Kinross | 96,334 |
Renfrewshire | 118,893 |
Scottish Borders | 74,416 |
Shetland Islands | 17,095 |
South Ayrshire | 79,487 |
South Lanarkshire | 207,274 |
West Dunbartonshire | 63,301 |
West Lothian | 109,727 |
Western Isles | 23,398 |
Total | £3,500,000 |