- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with representatives of the retail industry prior to its announcement in the Budget that it is exploring the introduction of a non-domestic rates Public Health Supplement on grocery retailers.
Answer
The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement. Retail representatives and other relevant stakeholders will be consulted as part of that exploratory work.
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that engagement with the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates sub-group continues to explore how the non-domestic rates system can best support business growth, investment and competitiveness, while acknowledging the important role non-domestic rates income plays in funding public services.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a fill rate of 33% for Emergency Medicine ST4 in the 2023 recruitment round 1 and 2 for the NHS, and what action it is taking to improve this fill rate.
Answer
Overall, more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record. 15 posts were advertised in Emergency Medicine at ST4 level and 5 (or 33.33%) filled successfully. These figures are accurate as of 25 July and pertain only to the initial recruitment rounds of 2023; end-year data for all UK nations and specialties will be published by NHS England in the coming weeks. It should be noted that recent uplifts in Emergency Medicine (10 posts in 2023) led to a greater number of posts being advertised. Another 12 posts will be added this year. Steps have been taken by NHS Education for Scotland to fill the 10 vacant posts: 5 are being filled through IDTs (Inter-Deanery Transfers), 1 has been converted to an ST1 post and the other 4 are have been converted to LAT (Locum Appointed to Training) posts.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will fulfil its commitment in its Framework for Tax, and the recommendation of the Barclay Review of non-domestic rates, to restore the level playing field with England for commercial premises liable for the higher property rate.
Answer
The 2021 manifesto and Framework for Tax 2021 stated our commitment to ensuring that the largest businesses pay the same combined poundage in Scotland as in England by the end of this parliamentary session.
Since the Barclay Review made this recommendation, we have introduced the Intermediate Property Rate on 1 April 2020. On 1 April 2023, we increased the rateable value threshold at which the Higher Property Rate applies, from £95,000 to £100,000. As a result, over 95% of properties are liable for a lower poundage rate in Scotland than in anywhere else in the UK.
Budget decisions are made annually in light of affordability. The Scottish Budget 2024-25 takes a balanced approach to supporting businesses through non-domestic rates where possible, while ensuring the funding necessary to protect public services.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each year since 2016 the number of medically-trained NHS 24 call handlers has fallen below any minimum number that are required to be on shift at any given time.
Answer
There is no minimum required number of medically-trained NHS 24 call handlers, as call handlers are classed as healthcare support workers and are not medically trained.
Call handlers operate under clinical supervision at all times with a minimum level of one clinical supervisor for every five call handlers. Each call has clinical supervision input at an appropriate level, depending on acuity and outcome.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards over-recruit for positions, and, if so, how many posts have been over-recruited for in each year since 2016, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) position.
Answer
The Scottish Government collates data by job family rather than by position, and as such, does not hold the information on recruitment to positions. As the employer, Health Boards hold individual responsibility for recruitment to ensure appropriate staffing levels to deliver services.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what public awareness campaigns it has undertaken in
the last 10 years to ensure that recreational activities, such as paddle
boarding, kayaking, cycling, fishing and camping, do not impact on the
biodiversity of National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific
Interest.
Answer
Each year, NatureScot undertakes activity to promote the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) with specific campaigns across a range of topics and settings, including National Nature Reserves. This work has been complemented in recent years by a greater co-ordination of messaging through the visitor management strategy led by VisitScotland: https://www.visitscotland.org/about-us/what-we-do/working-in-partnership/visitor-management-plan . In 2023, NatureScot also refreshed the SOAC education resources for schools and young people.
Wildlife disturbance is a key element of current campaign activity with a range of key messages promoted to support the recently revised guidance prepared by the National Access Forum on “Managing public access in areas of wildlife sensitivity in Scotland” : https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/doc/guidance-managing-public-access-areas-wildlife-sensitivity-scotland .
Social media plays an increasingly significant part of NatureScot’s campaign work, with the SOAC campaign in spring 2023 delivering 1.7 million social media impressions and 51,000 plays of videos on wildlife disturbance at Forvie National Nature Reserve. NatureScot also work closely to align and promote messages with a range of governing bodies for these activities. They have contributed funding to the Ramblers #RespectProtectEnjoy films which are aimed at young people, with key messages on leaving no trace, avoiding lighting fires and wildlife disturbance. These films have delivered over 8.6 million impressions and 161,000 full viewings.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a fill rate of 50% for Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery ST3 in the 2023 recruitment round 1 and 2 for the NHS, and what action it is taking to improve this fill rate.
Answer
Overall more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record, (data correct as at 25 July 2023). Within that overall context there will always be a number of posts which do not fill. Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery ST3 is a small specialty with only 2 posts advertised in 2023, therefore, as only 1 post has filled, the fill rate appears as 50%. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many new ChargePoint Scotland electric vehicle (EV) charging points were installed in the Highlands and Islands region in 2023, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
Since 2011, Transport Scotland has invested over £65 million, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, to support the installation of over 2700 public EV charge point installations across Scotland as part of the ChargePlace Scotland EV charging network. As a direct result, Scotland has the best provision of public charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region.
Last year, the Scottish Government published a Vision for Scotland’s future public EV charging network, highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. Through the £60m EV Infrastructure Fund, we are supporting local authorities across Scotland to work with the private sector to lever in the private investment needed to continue to grow provision of EV charging in Scotland at pace and scale.
The following table shows the total number of electric vehicle charge points commissioned on to the Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland network for 2023 across the Highland and Islands Scottish Parliament Electoral Region, broken down by Local Authority Area.
We do not hold information relating to any other electric vehicle charging networks.
Local Authority | Publicly available electric vehicle charge points commissioned in 2023. | Non publicly available electric vehicle charge points commissioned in 2023. |
Argyll & Bute Council (part) | 13 | 7 |
Comhairle Eilean Siar | 1 | 4 |
Highland Council, The | 21 | 45 |
Moray Council (part) | 0 | 13 |
Orkney Council | 0 | 2 |
Shetland Council | 6 | 5 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a fill rate of 0% for Genitourinary Medicine ST4 in the 2023 recruitment round 1 and 2 for the NHS, and what action it is taking to improve this fill rate.
Answer
Overall more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record, (data correct as at 25 July 2023). Within that overall context there will always be a number of posts which do not fill. Genitourinary Medicine ST4 is a small specialty with only 3 post advertised in 2023, therefore, as these posts have not filled, the fill rate appears as 0%. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.
- Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statistics that it has published on criminal justice social work for 2022-23.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024
