- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19595 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of the types of cyber attack to which Social Security Scotland has been subjected.
Answer
It is not possible to give specific details of the types of cyber-attack Social Security Scotland has been subjected to. Doing so may provide information on the defences which protect the Agency’s systems. This information could then be leveraged in future attacks.
The vast majority of the cyber events monitored consist of attackers scanning Internet-facing benefit systems to discover potential weaknesses in the defences. Should any be identified, this can lead to further activity from the attacker to leverage this weakness. To date, the security defences have prevented all attacks from succeeding.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce sewage spills and ensure that storm overflows only operate during heavy rainfall.
Answer
As highlighted in the answer to S6O-02060 on 23 March 2023, the river basin management plans set out our long-term aims for improving our water environment. The plans are supported by Scottish Water’s Improving urban waters route map, which commits up to £500 million of investment to improve wastewater treatment works, address unsatisfactory discharges and increase monitoring. Scottish Water published its first annual report on progress against the route map in December 2022 at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/help-and-resources/document-hub/key-publications/urban-waters-improvements .
All answers to Oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the Offical Report can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 23/03/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Primary Care Information Resource is being decommissioned with effect from 31 August 2023, what plans are currently in place to replace this resource and ensure that there continues to be accessible data on Scottish primary care practices.
Answer
As part of wider improvements to General Practice (GP) IT, testing found that Scottish Primary Care Information Resource (SPIRE) could not continue to be fully supported without considerable redevelopment. This means that by the end of August 2023 SPIRE would be unable to provide a representative national data extract from GP systems.
A transition is underway in NHS Scotland from SPIRE to a new data extraction tool. This tool, recently procured by National Services Scotland (NSS), provides similar functionality to SPIRE but has greater national coverage. The tool is trusted and highly valued having successfully been used for vaccination data purposes during the pandemic, and subsequently in obtaining other GP data
Public Health Scotland (PHS) analysts are working closely with NSS to replicate local reports currently used by some practices, using the data provided by the new tool.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not responded to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, in light of its aim to respond within 12 weeks from the date of the publication, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was published on 24 March 2023.
Answer
In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on the 9 May 2023. The letter acknowledged the Commission’s extensive recommendations and committed to a more detailed response to these, alongside consideration of responses to the formal consultation.
The reply adhered to the 12-week timeframe as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and can now be found online here: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, and when it will publish a response to the Commission.
Answer
In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on 9 May 2023. This can be found online: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
We are currently awaiting independent analysis of the large volume of responses received from the public consultation held on the draft ESJTP. We are fully considering stakeholder views including those of the Just Transition Commission and will engage with them further as we finalise the ESJTP.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the current average wait time is for receiving (a) assessment/ diagnosis and (b) first treatment via the urgent suspected referral process for cancer, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. The most recent Cancer Waiting Times Data from 1 January – 31 March 2023, published on the Public Health Scotland website, can be found at the following link - Cancer waiting times - 1 January to 31 March 2023 - Cancer waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland . Here you will find information on the median waiting times from referral to first treatment or from decision to treat to first treatment, split up by Health Board and Cancer Type.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to regularly release GP waiting time data.
Answer
Whilst there are no plans to collect GP waiting time data, Mr Yousaf announced last November the formation of the General Practice Access Group, with a view to understanding the challenges and issues affecting access to General Practice. This group will establish high level core principles to support and enhance patients’ experience of accessing ‘The Right Care, Right Time, Right Place’. Patient groups have been consulted and we expect the group’s work to be published later this summer.
The General Access group will help to build on the findings from the Health and Care Experience survey ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-care-experience-survey-2021-22-national-results/pages/3/) , which seeks out peoples experiences of accessing and using their GP practice and Out of Hours services.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with representatives of any private investment funds to discuss peatlands restoration.
Answer
The Scottish Government have discussed peatland restoration with representatives of private investment funds as part of our commitment to develop a values-led high integrity market for responsible private investment in natural capital. This engagement has included discussion on the Peatland Code and on options to increase the rates of peatland restoration.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence there is to support the use of ultra-high frequency electronic identification (EID) technology as a means of identification for Scottish beef, and whether it has considered other methods of EID.
Answer
Ultra High Frequency (UHF) electronic identification (EID) for cattle has been trialled progressively in Scotland over the past decade through an Industry led Bovine EID ‘pilot’. The findings from this pilot, which has also considered Low Frequency (LF) technology, are expected to be published shortly. Any proposed future changes to regulations concerning cattle identification, will also be subject to a full public consultation.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the current average wait time is for receiving (a) assessment/ diagnosis and (b) first treatment via the urgent suspected referral process for breast cancer, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. The most recent Cancer Waiting Times Data from 1 January – 31 March 2023, published on the Public Health Scotland website, can be found at the following link - Cancer waiting times - 1 January to 31 March 2023 - Cancer waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland . Here you will find information on the median waiting times from referral to first treatment or from decision to treat to first treatment, split up by Health Board and Cancer Type.