- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-00531 on 2 December 2021, whether it will provide an update on its response to the report, Towards a Scotland that cares – a new National Outcome on Care for the National Performance Framework, and what progress it is making in responding to the report's recommendations.
Answer
The report Towards a Scotland that cares , which proposes the new National Outcome on Care for the National Performance Framework, will be fully considered as part of the Review of the National Performance Framework that will commence this year. As the National Outcomes are cross-cutting, this will ensure that the report’s findings can be considered holistically across the full range of outcomes that impact on care. This addresses the report’s recommendation that the Scottish Government further consults on the proposals, as blueprints, outlined in the report during the upcoming public engagement on the NPF.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include a national outcome on valuing and investing in care in the National Performance Framework.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6F-00531 on 2 December 2021 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx .
The proposal for a Carers Outcome will be fully considered as part of the upcoming Review of the National Outcomes. Scottish Ministers are required under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act (2015) to review the National Outcomes within five years of their previous publication. On 21 September 2021, I confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee that external engagement for the next Review will commence in 2022, with the aim of laying the statutory report in Parliament during the third Parliamentary term in 2023.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 legislation in place.
Answer
Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 24 January 2022.
The Amendment Regulations remove the capacity limits for live events held indoors and the definition of a live event.
The regulations also remove the requirement to take measures to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that a distance of 1 metre is maintained between people on or waiting to enter hospitality and leisure premises and that only enough people are admitted to the premises to allow the 1 metre distance to be maintained.
The regulations remove the requirement for table service in premises where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises, and that the customer must remain seated whilst consuming food and drink on the premises.
The regulations also remove the requirement for the closure of nightclubs to members of the public and amend the definition of ‘late night premises’ in the Principal Regulations in relation to the certification requirements.
The Regulations have been published at www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/13/contents/made
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with National Referral Mechanism (NRM) reasonable grounds or NRM conclusive grounds, supported under section 9 or section 10 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, were being housed in asylum accommodation (a) in each year between 2016-17 and 2020-21 and (b) between 1 April and 31 December 2021.
Answer
Support under section 9 or section 10 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 was placed on a statutory footing on 1 April 2018. This can include accommodation, assistance with day to day living, medical advice and treatment, language translation and interpretation, counselling, legal advice, help accessing other services and, if the victim wishes, repatriation.
Although asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and is the responsibility of the Home Office, in individual circumstances it is possible for people supported under section 9 or section 10 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 to be housed in asylum accommodation.
The detailed information requested is currently being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 63102).
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed fair work practices, including the rights of workers to join trade unions, with Amazon.
Answer
The Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training met with Amazon on 2 September 2021. In his previous role as Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills he met Amazon on several occasions to discuss Fair Work issues, emphasising the benefits of Fair Work for both Amazon staff and the organisation.
The Scottish Government remains committed to promoting Fair Work across the economy and encourages all employers to adopt fair work practices, including paying workers at least the real Living Wage and providing appropriate channels for effective voice, such as trade union recognition.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04188 by Maree Todd on 16 November 2021, whether sportscotland has allocated funding to support the development of a tennis centre at Park of Keir for financial year 2022-23.
Answer
sport scotland has made a provisional allocation of up to £5m in its forward budgeting for the development of a potential tennis facility at Park of Keir, consisting of a mix of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding.
However, at this stage, a full application for a tennis facility at Park of Keir has not been received. Any decision on whether to make a capital award and the appropriate level of any award will only be taken on completion of a full application by the applicant and following a sport scotland assessment process. This assessment process would consider among other issues the strategic need and demand for a facility, the impact it will have on sport and physical activity and whether the project is financially viable in capital and revenue terms.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to produce the Zero Waste Scotland report, How should Scotland Manage its Scrap Steel?, which was published on 25 October 2021.
Answer
This is a matter for Zero Waste Scotland, which is a company limited by guarantee that is independent from the Scottish Government.
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from the British Metals Recycling Association to withdraw the Zero Waste Scotland report, How should Scotland Manage its Scrap Steel?, over serious concerns about its accuracy.
Answer
ZWS is a company limited by guarantee that is independent from the Scottish Government and it is for Zero Waste Scotland to respond to calls about its reports. Zero Waste Scotland has advised us that the analysis is based on UK-wide data, which is the best and only data set currently available relating to scrap steel management in Scotland, scaled to allow for different scenarios to be modelled and compared within a Scottish context.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Amnesty International report, Amazon, let workers unionize! Respect for workers’ rights is not a choice, regarding the issuing of legal notices to trade union organisers attempting to recruit members at Amazon facilities in the UK.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects employees in all workplaces to be treated fairly and is doing everything it can to drive up employment standards and promote Fair Work practices, including effective worker voice, with the powers available to us.
We continue to call for employment law to be devolved in order to protect and improve worker’s rights and to create fairer and more inclusive workplaces.
The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting strong Trade Unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy. We have provided funding of £250,000 annually for the last five years to STUC, to help unions embed the Fair Work Framework in Scotland's workplaces. We will continue to call on employers to ensure appropriate channels for effective voice in the workplace, including engaging with relevant trade unions for their sector to improve working conditions and employment practices in Scotland.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 20 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04188 by Maree Todd on 16 November 2021, whether sportscotland allocated capital funding to support the development of a tennis centre at Park of Keir for financial year 2021-22.
Answer
sport scotland’s budget for 2022-23 is currently in development and is subject to financial arrangements for 2022-23 agreed between Scottish Government and sport scotland.
However, at this stage sport scotland does not expect to have any expenditure against a tennis facility at Park of Keir in 2021-22. Consequently, sport scotland intends to retain the same budget allocation for a tennis facility at Park of Keir in 2022-23 as in 2021-22 (as outlined in response to S6W-05651 on 20 January 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