- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22160 by Angela Constance on 7 November 2023, when any new guidance on responding to emergencies will be published.
Answer
A review of the suite of Preparing Scotland guidance, including information relating to responding to emergencies, is currently underway. The proposed date for launch is currently Spring 2024.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with NHS 24 to ensure that the Breathing Space webchat channel provides a reliable service for users, in light of reports of repeated incidents of the channel crashing and being offline for repairs.
Answer
Breathing Space is operated by NHS24 to provide free and confidential support for people experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety. The phone line operates between 6pm-2am on weekday evenings and from 6pm Friday to 6am Monday. The web chat is available Monday to Friday from 6pm to 2am and on Saturday and Sunday from 4pm to 12 midnight. Around 9,500 people are supported by Breathing Space each month, which is typically split between around 95% accessing the helpline and 5% using the web chat function.
The technical issues affecting the Breathing Space web chat function over the last few weeks have now been fully resolved, and NHS24 has assured Scottish Government that if has robust monitoring plans in place to ensure any future issues are identified, and resolved, quickly.
During the period of disruption to the web chat service, the Breathing Space phone lines were unaffected; users were advised via the Breathing Space website that the telephone service remained available. Those with pressing mental health issues also continued to have 24/7 access to the Mental Health Hub through NHS24’s 111 service.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Edinburgh, is likely to deliver its findings.
Answer
In a meeting between myself and Lord Brodie on 15 November 2023, Lord Brodie provided an update on the Inquiry’s progress and the forthcoming hearings on both Edinburgh and Glasgow hospitals. Whilst no date for presenting recommendations has been published, the Chair provided assurances of his dedication to concluding the Inquiry promptly whilst ensuring the focus remains on fulfilling the Inquiry Terms of Reference.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15260 by Humza Yousaf on 7 March 2023, whether it will provide an update on which precision medicines and treatments have been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium for use by NHS Scotland where the companion diagnostic test is not currently offered by NHS Scotland laboratories.
Answer
The only precision medicine accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium where the companion diagnostic test is not yet offered by NHS Scotland laboratories is Pemigatinib (SMC Number 2399).
We are continuing to work closely with key partners, such as the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomics Medicine (SSNGM), to ensure there is capacity within laboratories for companion diagnostics tests to be offered as soon as practically possible.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22456 by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023, in light of it having provided this data in the answer to question S4W-04735 by Keith Brown on 12 January 2012, for what reason it stated in its answer that this information is not held centrally, and whether it will now provide the information requested.
Answer
The general policy of the Scottish Government is to advise MSPs to directly approach public bodies and organisations for information held by them which is not held by the Scottish Government, and although acting to collate non-Scottish Government held information may have happened in the past, it is not currently viewed as practicable.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential double charging for boats that do not include accommodation under the provisions in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
Boats that are moored in one location for weeks or months, primarily as a safe haven, will not be liable for a visitor levy, if a local authority introduces one. We continue to discuss and explore with all relevant stakeholders the full implications of a visitor levy applying to boat moorings and berthings.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to SMEs to help and encourage them to employ BSL users.
Answer
In November 2023 the Scottish Government launched the British Sign Language National Plan which contains 45 actions focused on addressing the barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives.
The Scottish Government has since 2020 provided around £1,000,000 funding to Apt-PSP to enable employers to better attract, recruit, and retain disabled people. Since the outset, Apt-PSP has included representation from organisations that focus on British Sign Language users, and this has included support for employers, including micro, small and medium sized employers assist them in supporting them in BSL related issues.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21911 by Angela Constance on 24 October 2023, what action it is taking in response to the finding by the University of Edinburgh's Child Safety, Justice and Recovery Research Group in its North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation: Phase One Report, published in March 2023, that the use of joint investigative interviews (JIIs) has had “little impact” on children and that child witnesses are still required to attend court “in almost all cases”.
Answer
The Scottish Government is continuing the phased implementation of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019. A presumption in favour of pre-recording the evidence of child witnesses in cases which involve specified offences is already in place in the High Court, unless specific exceptions apply. We remain committed to extending this presumption to children giving evidence in relevant cases in the sheriff courts and will publish a revised Implementation Plan by the end of March.
We continue to support national rollout of the new Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviews with over £2 million funding and have committed further support through the Bairns’ Hoose Pathfinder Phase. The model aims to secure a child’s best evidence at the earliest opportunity, while minimising retraumatisation. We have commissioned an independent evaluation of the model and its expected outcomes. It is anticipated that the model will be available across Scotland by the end of 2024.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22430 by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023, in light of it having provided this data in the answer to question S4W-23569 by Derek Mackay on 21 January 2015, for what reason it stated in its answer that it does not hold this data, and whether it will now provide the information requested.
Answer
As noted in the answer to S6W-22430 by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023, we do not hold specific data on the frequency or average duration of road closures for the purpose of crime scene investigation. This is consistent with the answer to S4W-23569, answered by Derek Mackay in 2015, which noted that Transport Scotland does not hold definitive data that indicates when Police Scotland have carried out a crime scene investigation.
The information provided with the answer to S4W-23569 sought to be helpful by providing what information was held by Transport Scotland i.e. the number and duration of closures on specific routes. However the answer clearly advised that the information provided represented where police attendance was reported and which may or may not have involved a crime scene investigation. It also noted that Police Scotland do on occasions close roads for crime scene investigation without notifying Transport Scotland.
We would therefore reiterate that the closure of a road in the aftermath of an accident is a matter for Police Scotland, who liaise with NHS colleagues as appropriate to understand if accident investigation is merited. The decision to reopen a road after an investigation is also a matter for the Police in their operational capacity.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the details and scope of the proposed independent review of Adult Disability Payments.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22241 on 13 November 2023 which provides an overview of the scope of the review. 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
The process of recruiting a Chair for the independent review is underway and an advert is currently live. The advertisement will be live for 5 weeks and will close on 27 November 2023, with interviews expected to take place in December.