- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its acceptance in principle of recommendation 17 of the second report of the independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland, how it plans to stop the incineration of non-recyclable plastics once these items enter the waste management system.
Answer
This information is set out in our response to the second report from the review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland: Decarbonisation of Residual Waste infrastructure in Scotland, published on 5 May 2023.
Our response is available here: Decarbonisation of residual waste infrastructure: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce its proposed Circular Economy Bill in the Parliament.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17582 on 16 May 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate air monitors are installed at schools in each local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or fine particulate air monitors are installed at schools in each local authority area.
The Scottish Government has allocated significant funding of £13.8 million to local authorities in relation to improving ventilation in schools.
In January, it was confirmed by local authorities that all circa 50,000 learning, teaching and play spaces across Scotland have been equipped with a CO2 monitor.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current (a) proposals and (b) timescales for the provision of a replacement (i) hospital, (ii) dental clinic and (iii) GP unit on the Isle of Barra, and whether it will propose scheduling a ministerial statement in order to provide a detailed update to the Parliament on these matters.
Answer
The Scottish Government remain committed to delivery of quality health and care facilities on Barra. However, the Scottish Government's ability to fund capital projects has been affected by a reduction in the amount of capital grant from the UK Government over the next two years, and unprecedented levels of inflation as a result of Covid, Brexit, uncertainty in the supply chain and the war in Ukraine.
The Outline Business Case for the provision of new health facilities at the Barra Health and Social Care Hub has been submitted, however detailed design work of the proposals has been unable to start due to the budgetary pressures across the capital investment programme.
Scottish Government officials will engage with NHS Western Isles and the Scottish Futures Trust to consider the timing of the construction and will work closely with partners to identify alternative options.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recent findings in the Manchester Arena Inquiry report, which highlighted deficiencies in the first aid cover provided by a private company that was not adequately prepared to respond to the types of injuries that it needed to treat.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18115 on 6 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many Adult Disability Payment Change of Circumstances forms have been submitted in each month since January 2023, and, of these, what the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median processing time was for these unscheduled reviews of Adult Disability Payment.
Answer
Social Security Scotland does not currently produce information relating to Change of Circumstances but we do routinely publish information about Adult Disability Payment, including processing times of new applications.
These statistics were most recently published in March 2023, covering up to end January 2023, and are available at:
Social Security Scotland - Social Security Scotland statistics: publications
The next publication, covering up to end April 2023, will be published on 13 June.
Social Security Scotland is committed to giving clients timely decisions, while allowing sufficient time to ensure the necessary information is in place to get decisions right the first time. Clients can advise us of a change of circumstance for a number of reasons, and if the change is relevant to their entitlement, a review would be carried out. Every case is individual and processing times will vary.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and what was discussed.
Answer
Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, to discuss areas of mutual interest.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has conducted and (b) plans to conduct an analysis of how successful the ban on single-use plastics has been since it was introduced in 2022.
Answer
The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 came into force in June 2022 as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to move to a more circular economy and tackle the environmental impact of the most problematic single-use plastic products.
Over seven hundred million of these products were estimated to be used in Scotland every year before the Regulations came into force, including three hundred million single-use plastic straws and over two hundred and fifty million pieces of single-use plastic cutlery.
Now that the regulations have been in place for almost a year, we will evaluate progress and this will inform our approach to continuing to support businesses to comply with requirements.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) plans it made and (b) resources it provided to local authorities to enforce the ban on single-use plastics introduced in 2022.
Answer
Enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 is the responsibility of local authorities, who have autonomy to allocate the resources available to them based on local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government is providing an additional £793 million of funding to local authorities in 2023-24.
In addition to guidance published on the Scottish Government website in advance of the Regulations, Zero Waste Scotland delivered an awareness raising campaign in the six months prior to the Regulations coming into force to increase business and public awareness of the Regulations. We will continue to support businesses to comply with requirements.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date, and what future funding provision it has made for its delivery.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date - this information is held by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar.
Initial design and development costs have been incurred on the school and community element of the project, which is being delivered through the Learning Estate Investment Programme.
These upfront project costs have been paid by the local authority and will form part of the total project costs, up to 50% of which will be funded by the Scottish Government through the Learning Estate Investment Programme’s outcome based funding model mechanism.