- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09876 by Lorna Slater on 16 August 2022, which states that "initial investments have the potential to reduce CO2e emissions by 29,746 tonnes each year", and in light of the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity's letter of 9 November 2022, which states that such investments "have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 32,104 tonnes each year", whether it will confirm what the potential CO2 reduction levels are, and what the reasons are for the discrepancy in these two figures.
Answer
The investments made to date from the Recycling Improvement Fund have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 32,104 tonnes each year.
With support from Zero Waste Scotland, local authorities submit estimated greenhouse gas emission reduction figures, where available, for each project as part of the Fund’s assessment process. These figures are regularly reviewed during project implementation as part of the Fund’s monitoring processes, and as a result there may be variation in these figures as individual projects progress.
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, as of 19 December 2022, how many people (a) are eligible for, (b) have applied for and (c) have received an under-22 bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme.
Answer
There are an estimated 930,000 people eligible for the Young Person’s Free Bus Travel Scheme. This refers to the number of people aged 5-21 who have become eligible for concessionary travel as a result of the Young Person’s Scheme.
(b) Transport Scotland does not hold application information. The Improvement Service are in charge of applications made through getyournec.scot and parentsportal.scot, and all other applications are managed by the individual local authorities.
(c) As of end of day 19th December 2022, there were 561,623 cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.
This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The figure includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile application.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.
Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on alcohol-related harms and other public health impacts in Scotland of alcohol duty freezes.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include bereavement issues as part of the school curriculum.
Answer
The health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government.
We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide which approaches they use to help them deliver relevant and engaging learning.
The curriculum already provides opportunities for teachers to deliver learning and teaching on bereavement and loss. One of the health and wellbeing “experiences and outcomes” ensures that young people are learning skills and strategies which will support them in challenging times, particularly in relation to change and loss.
In addition, Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub contains resources for schools to support them in delivering learning and teaching on bereavement issues.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.
Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has undertaken of the financial viability of Scotland's hospices.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not carried out recent assessment of the financial viability of independent, third sector Scottish Hospices.
As confirmed by the First Minister in the Chamber on 15 December 2022, the Scottish Government will meet with Hospice representatives to discuss the pressures they are facing, in common with other voluntary and statutory sectors, due to the impact of increased inflation and energy costs.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.
Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on alcohol-related harms and other public health impacts in Scotland of alcohol duty freezes.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include suicide prevention as part of the school curriculum.
Answer
The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide.
We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide which approaches they use to help them deliver relevant and engaging learning.
Schools are encouraged to develop the curriculum to suit their local context and meet the needs of children and young people, this can include delivering learning on suicide prevention. It is good practice for schools to consult with children and young people and respond to their views appropriately, to ensure this meets the needs of all children and young people in the school or educational setting.
Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub contains resources and learning for school staff to support young people in relation to self-harm and suicide. In addition, in June 2021, we published an online professional learning resource aimed at school staff to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The resource includes a section on suicide.
