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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-23459

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of communicating its Take Hold campaign through radio and outdoor advertising, rather than social media and television, in reaching children and young people.

The campaign is not targeting children and young people through radio and outdoor advertising. These channels, along with online news sites, digital and social media are being used to reach and engage the parental audience across Scotland.

To reach children and young people, we have engaged with schools, parents and third sector organisations who work directly with children and young people, equipping them with resources, information and tips (via NHS Inform and Parent Club) to prompt awareness of, and have informed discussions with their children and young people, on the dangers and consequences of vaping.

To reach the parental audience in Scotland, we worked with a procured Scottish Government roster media agency to identify the most effective media channels. In this instance, within the parameters of the identified budget, outdoor advertising, radio, online news sites and social media were recommended. These channels have allowed for creation of engaging content that encourages parents to click through to NHS Inform and Parent Club for information, advice and tips on having open, honest, informed conversations with their children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-23465

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget is for its Brush Up campaign to increase awareness of NHS dentistry reforms.

Question reference: S6W-23405

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Mental health and wellbeing: workforce action plan 2023-2025, whether it will provide an update on its work in funding training to increase knowledge, skills and awareness of suicide prevention.

Our suicide prevention strategy Creating Hope Together, and our new Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan - both of which are joint publications with COSLA - have a strong and consistent focus on training across our workforce and our communities to enable people to better understand and support people affected by suicide.

Our learning approach on suicide prevention is captured within outcome 2 of the action plan which is that ‘Our communities have a clear understanding of suicide, risk factors and its prevention – so that people and organisations are more able to respond in helpful and informed ways when they, or others, need support’. This includes structured learning as well as awareness raising activities, such as through the social movement and public campaigns.

On formal learning, the Scottish Government is funding the continued development of suicide prevention resources as well as funding delivery of learning in targeted settings, where the workforce supports groups with a higher risk of suicide. This includes health and social care, education, third sector working in local communities, and emergency services. The suicide prevention training programmes include trainer led safeTALK and ASIST as well as a suite of Ask Tell Respond self-led online and facilitated learning, and we are continuing to increase the capacity of trainers to deliver these resources across Scotland.

We are committed to ensuring our learning resources and approach achieves maximum impact in reducing suicide in Scotland. We are using the evidence from the ongoing review of learning we are carrying out with Public Health Scotland to inform future plans.

The priority we give to suicide prevention learning is demonstrated through our consistent funding over a number of years. In the current financial year (2023-24) we are providing funding of £414,000 to Public Health Scotland and our third sector partner, Scottish Action for Mental Health, to deliver Outcome 2 of the Creating Hope Together Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-23336

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in each of the last five years, how much money was allocated to the Home Heating Support Fund, and how much of the fund was spent by the time the fund closed for new applications.

Since being established in the winter of 2020 as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, the Scottish Government has awarded a total of £16.9 million to Advice Direct Scotland to administer the Home Heating Support Fund (HHSF).

Below is a year by year breakdown of the funding for the HHSF to date:

Year	Awarded
2020-21	£1.1m*
2021-22	£4.2m
2022-23	£6.6m
2023-24	£5m (ongoing)**

*The HHSF was funded from December 2020 to March 2021, via consequential funding through the Winter Support Fund. Subsequent years have been funded through the Scottish Government's Fuel Insecurity Fund.

**There is currently £9m available to the HHSF for 2023-24, with £5m already claimed.

Question reference: S6W-23373

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses for selecting contractors in relation to peatland restoration.

Question reference: S6W-23332

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the £30 million capital funding from the Energy Industries budget line that has been reprofiled to future years.

Question reference: S6W-23226

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to potential reforms of corporate criminal liability.

Possible reform to homicide law is currently being considered by the Scottish Law Commission. In paragraph 1.27 of the Scottish Law Commission's Homicide Project Discussion paper , it is indicated corporate homicide is one of a number of topics that the Commission will not be considering as part of their project. As paragraph 1.27 and associated footnotes indicates, this is because a Members' Bill was presented to the Scottish Parliament in 2020 in this area of law and the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament made a statement that the Bill was not within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Within this context, the Scottish Government is not considering any potential reforms to corporate criminal liability with responsibility for any such reform falling to the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-23218

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22263 by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023, whether it will provide evidence of what communication Food Standards Scotland has had with stakeholders, including local authorities, businesses and consumers, on the effectiveness and suitability of the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The Scottish Government is advised on food safety and standards matters by Food Standards Scotland (FSS). They have advised that stakeholders were consulted in 2019 on the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2015, to ensure the regulations remained operable and effective after the UK had left the EU. This included a specific focus on proposed changes to how country of origin would be labelled after the UK left the EU. The views of stakeholders including Scottish honey producers were considered to ensure the rules remained relevant in Scotland.

FSS notes Mr Burnett’s interest in this area and would welcome the opportunity to meet with him if he would find that helpful.

Question reference: S6W-23230

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions for (a) murder and (b) culpable homicide have been brought against healthcare professionals in Scotland in the last 10 years relating to the discharge of their duties or exercise of their powers treating patients, and, of these, how many resulted in a conviction.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. The data we receive from Police Scotland’s Criminal History System for production of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland National Statistics bulletin includes a prosecuted person’s age and sex, but not their profession or details of the context of their case, aside from the main charge, any aggravation(s), the verdict and (if convicted) the sentence given.

Question reference: S6W-23252

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will deliver its commitment to reduce class contact time for teachers by 90 minutes per week to 21 hours, from the current 22.5 hours.