- Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the creation of a Lead MS Nurse for Scotland and the development of this as a leadership role.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Scotland are able to receive the best possible care and support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the patient at the centre of their care.
Since 2015, the Scottish Government has provided £2.4 million annually to improve specialist nursing services. NHS Boards make the decision on where to prioritise this funding based on local need. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that patients, including those who require MS services, have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.
The Scottish Government currently has no plans to create a lead MS nurse post, but is willing to consider and discuss any proposals received.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Organic Farming Agri-Environment Climate Scheme there were, and of those how many (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015.
Answer
The following table summarises the number of Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) applications received, applying specifically for Organic Farming options, and of those how many were (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015. The figures below exclude those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.
Please note that the 2020 round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer.
The 2021 round that closed at the beginning of July 2021 was also extended. These applications are still being assessed.
| Year | Application Type | Applications Submitted1 | Applications Approved | Awaiting Decision |
| 2015 | Organic | 82 | 75 | 0 |
| 2016 | Organic | 121 | 115 | 0 |
| 2017 | Organic | 86 | 79 | 0 |
| 2018 | Organic | 48 | 35 | 0 |
| 2019 | Organic | 76 | 72 | 0 |
1Excludes those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Survivor Reference Group report, Police Responses in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the report by the Survivor Reference Group and will consider the findings from this. It is vital that survivors of rape, sexual violence, and abuse are listened to and believed by the police and we are determined to improve the justice system to respond better to the needs of survivors of rape and sexual assault in Scotland.
The Scottish Government recognises the key role that advocacy services play in helping victims come forward and engage with the justice process, like those provided by Rape Crisis Scotland, which is why we fully fund the RCS National Advocacy Project.
A single police force has transformed the way rape and other sexual crimes are investigated in Scotland allowing far greater consistency of approach, including the training of police officers and use of specialist officers.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether Roman Catholic priests may deliver the last rites to an individual at a location that has been designated as a crime scene.
Answer
The preservation of a crime scene is for the purposes of protecting the integrity of forensic evidence. A decision to allow a priest to enter an area designated as a crime scene is therefore an operational matter for Police Scotland.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Slurry Storage Agri-Environment Climate Scheme there were, and of those how many (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015.
Answer
The following table summarises the number of Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) applications received, applying specifically for Slurry Storage and of those how many were (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015. The figures below exclude those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.
Please note that the 2015 round did not include a Slurry Store option and that the 2020 round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer. Slurry Store is not a Management Option, it is capital only, and as such was not included in the round.
The 2021 round that closed at the beginning of July 2021 was also extended. These applications are still being assessed.
| Year | Application Type | Applications Submitted1 | Applications Approved | Awaiting Decision |
| 2015 | Slurry Store | NA* | - | - |
| 2016 | Slurry Store | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | Slurry Store | 62 | 58 | 0 |
| 2018 | Slurry Store | 61 | 36 | 0 |
| 2019 | Slurry Store | 62 | 47 | 0 |
1Excludes those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.
* Application type not included in Round.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to improving the ability for (a) visually impaired or (b) deaf people to participate in judicial proceedings such as jury duty, and what plans are in place to improve participation of this nature.
Answer
Court operational matters, including the system for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).
In November 2019, SCTS announced new services for jurors with a visual impairment or who are hard of hearing as recommended in Lord Matthews 2018 “Enabling Jury Service” report.
These adjustments and measures widened the accessibility for as many people as possible to serve on include:
- easy-to use hearing loop units and magnifiers for use in the courtroom and jury deliberations;
- dedicated and trained Jury Liaison Officers, who can be contacted by persons with a visual impairment or who are hard of hearing in advance of attending court as a juror. This will allow the needs of the individual to be explored and any suitable adjustments to be considered and implemented, where possible; and
- an information sheet in various formats – including a video with British Sign Language and subtitles aimed at encouraging early contact between the person cited for jury service and the Jury Liaison Officer for that court.
In developing these services, SCTS worked closely with deafscotland and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, who contributed to the training of Jury Liaison Officers.
There is, of course, more to do to support greater accessibility for jurors and SCTS have provided assurances that they will consider further initiatives as opportunities arise during the business planning process.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when the Steel Sector Round Table will next meet.
Answer
My predecessor chaired the Scottish Steel Sector Round Table (SSRT) on a biannual basis. The SSRT completed the work on a report into the state of the steel sector in Scotland at its last meeting on 2 November 2020.
The main concern for the steel industry continues to be energy prices, especially in the light of recent price rises, and the impact this has on wider developments in the industry. Energy is a matter reserved to the UK Government, which earlier this year revived the UK Steel Council. I am a member of this Council and continue to press for progress on matters key to the success of the steel sector in Scotland.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported increase in ATMs moving from Free to Use (FTU) to Pay to Use (PTU) should be reversed, and what action can be taken to encourage businesses to operate Free To Use ATMs, particularly in rural areas, given the reported disproportionate impact on them by branch closures, and lack of footfall during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
Any reported increase in Pay to Use ATM’s away from Free to Use ATM’s is a matter of great concern as it undoubtedly adds to the uncertainty faced by communities and businesses on their ability to access cash and other banking facilities.
The Scottish Government has delivered a number of reliefs for ATM sites. This includes ensuring that sites in rural areas are exempt from business rates where the building is only used for the ATM and, more widely, that there is up to 100% rates relief through the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Also, local councils have wide-ranging powers to create rates reliefs to reflect local needs under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
The regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and as such Scottish Ministers are unable to intervene directly in the commercial decisions made by financial services companies. The Scottish Government stands ready to work constructively with the UK Government, banks and other stakeholders to ensure that customers, communities and businesses have access to the banking facilities they need. The Scottish Government will continue to urge banks and ATM providers to listen to, and address, the very real concerns customers have on their ability to access cash and banking services when engaging with the Financial Services industry.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of a legal opinion stating that local authorities cannot use their byelaw powers to implement buffer zones at NHS reproductive health facilities, how it will ensure that women have access to these services free from harassment.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2021
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government which victim support organisations it consulted with ahead of drafting the paper, Consultation on Bail and Release from Custody Arrangements in Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2021
