- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of which actions in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030 are specifically targeted to restore and manage species-rich grasslands.
Answer
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) notes that “Scotland’s uplands (above the limits of enclosed farmland) comprise a range of habitats including … species-rich grasslands” and that there has been a substantial long term decline in species-rich grasslands. The SBS Delivery Plan is intended to drive the restoration and improvement of habitats across Scotland, many of which are not mentioned explicitly.
Objective 1 of the Delivery Plan: Accelerate Restoration and Regeneration includes as a Priority Action: Introduce a programme of ecosystem restoration. There are five species-rich grassland habitats on the current Scottish Biodiversity List, and action 20.1 - revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List - is also therefore relevant. Other actions relevant to species-rich grasslands, include:
Ref: | Action |
2.5 | Develop upland-specific, best practice guidance on measures for upland restoration to regenerate peatlands, increase nature woodland cover, manage grazing, protect certain target species and priority habitats and increase habitat heterogeneity |
2.9 | Marine & coastal ecosystem restoration – machair and other grasslands |
5.3 | Explore how best to support optimal herbivore densities to enhance biodiversity outcomes in the uplands. |
11 | Actions to implement Nature Networks |
21.1 | Species on the Edge – great yellow and moss carder bumblebees, marsh fritillary, Scottish primrose, etc.. |
21.3 | Species with identifiable human pressures (especially specialists and arctic alpines) |
21.4 | Genetic diversity mapping – as Scotland is on the edge of the range of habitats it is likely to host unique genetic variants and the potential for useful traits in wild relatives of utilised species. |
21.6 | Better biodiversity data – will help with understanding the condition of species-rich grassland In areas outside designated sites. |
21.7 | Publish Plant biodiversity strategy - grasslands are specifically mentioned |
28 | Public Awareness and engagement to improve public awareness of climate-biodiversity issues and our connectedness to nature |
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has proposed reducing the Young Patients Family Fund by £700,000 in its draft Budget 2025-26, and what its response is to reported concerns that this sets a precedent for further reductions to the support that children and young people with cancer, and their families, may need.
Answer
The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is designed to support the families of all babies, children and young people from birth to age 18 who require inpatient care in Scotland, regardless of diagnosis.
The YPFF is a demand-led fund and the Scottish Government has ensured full funding against demand in each year since its launch on 26 July 2021. The 2025-26 budget has been set based on expected demand levels and the Scottish Government remains committed to provide full funding for the YPFF in 2025-26.
Other financial support is available to children and young people with a cancer diagnosis and their families for travel to hospital via the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under those schemes, patients and authorised escorts can reclaim reasonable costs of travel associated with attending a hospital appointment, in line with eligibility criteria and medical requirements.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to enable the availability of a diagnostic/triage tool for the earlier and faster detection of brain tumours.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of a triage diagnostic test under development that may have a role in the diagnostic pathway for patients presenting with symptoms that may indicate a brain tumour.
If clinical trials are successful, there could be a European Conformity marking by the end of 2025.
The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office will continue to liaise with those developing diagnostic tools to ensure they are fully informed of the support available for delivering innovation into NHS Scotland.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring NHS boards' adherence to the Scottish Cancer Network's Breast Cancer Clinical Management Pathway guidance on breast screening protocols by risk category, following the update to the guidance in 2023.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not specifically monitor the individual use of the familial breast cancer consensus document’s ‘framework for undertaking germline genetic testing and risk assessment for breast cancer’ which is hosted on the Scottish Cancer Network website. For other formally approved Clinical Management Pathways, assurance is sought via the NHS Boards’ Annual Delivery Plan review process.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys undertaken by the cars in its fleet in each of the last five years were longer than 50 miles, broken down by fuel type.
Answer
We do not hold this information.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Ambulance Service has made on commissioning a new pre-hospital service to cover the east and south east of Scotland, to replace Medic One.
Answer
Following the withdrawal of medic 1 by NHS Lothian the Scottish Ambulance Service, working with other Health Boards, has put in place contingency arrangements to provide a prehospital Emergency Critical Care response across the east of Scotland.
Working through the National Trauma Network the Scottish Ambulance Service has agreed to take the lead in writing the business case for this replacement service. This work is ongoing recognising this is a complex undertaking with multiple stakeholders involved and there is a requirement to ensure that options within the business case are evidenced based, sustainable and meet the needs of patients in the East of Scotland and our population as whole.
The current project plan is working to have this business case completed by summer 2025. This will then need to be presented and reviewed through the appropriate governance processes.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the current average journey distance is for the cars in its fleet, broken down by fuel type.
Answer
We do not hold this information.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with law enforcement agencies to tackle the supply of pipes and other paraphernalia used to consume illicit drugs.
Answer
We remain committed to reducing harm for individuals from the use of unsafe paraphernalia and will continue collaborating with stakeholders and harm reduction services on this matter.
We acknowledge the risks posed by unsafe, makeshift inhalation pipes, often shared among drug users. We are working closely with Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and other law enforcement agencies through the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to address these issues.
In 2021, the Drug Deaths Taskforce advocated for expanding drug paraphernalia provision for safer consumption and urged the UK Minister for Policing to reconsider legal restrictions. Though initially rejected, Scottish Government officials are engaging with the new UK administration to revisit this matter.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to spend in 2025-26 on work related to Scottish independence.
Answer
In December 2024, the Government’s proposed spending and tax plans for 2025 to 2026 were published here Scottish Budget - gov.scot. This includes budget provision for a range of activity related to the constitution which will be deployed across Ministerial priorities and commitments in this area.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will publish the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series.
Answer
The Scottish Government will publish further material on independence to give the people of Scotland the information they need. No date for publication has yet been determined.
