- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the national review of Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABIs).
Answer
The Scottish Government is engaging widely on the creation of a new approach to care and support for people impacted by alcohol. The recommendations made in the Public Health Scotland review of ABI are a key component of our engagement.
Our aim is to publish our new approach in 2026. This will include actions for re-affirming our commitment to brief interventions in all settings as well as how we will meet the recommendation to embed conversations about alcohol over 10 years.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the information provided in response to Freedom of Information request 202500455118, whether GFG Alliance secured finance following the "critical date" of 5 November 2024.
Answer
It is well known that GFG Alliance continues to progress its global refinancing despite challenging market conditions.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the national service specification for substance use treatments and support services.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38617 on 17 June 2025. 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: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose is of the personal guarantee that it has from Sanjeev Gupta, as stated in its response to Freedom of Information request 202500455118.
Answer
There are commitments with the Guarantee and Reimbursement Agreement that require a personal undertaking from Sanjeev Gupta.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what cost estimates it has made of the process to replace MV (a) Hjaltland, (b) Hrossey and (c) Hamnavoe, which have served on the Northern Isles Ferry Service route since 2002.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-39215 on 30 July 2025. 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: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government in which year it anticipates that new ferries to replace MV (a) Hjaltland, (b) Hrossey and (c) Hamnavoe, which serve the Northern Isles Ferry Service route, will come into service.
Answer
The Vessels and Ports Plan, published as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, indicates delivery of new tonnage to replace the three NIFS Ro-Pax vessels is expected within Phase 3 (2031-2036). Work on planning for and procuring their replacements will commence during Phase 1(2021-2026). The outline business case for the replacement vessels, including concept design work and project cost estimates, is expected to be presented to Transport Scotland and then Ministers in 2026. The specific timeline of business case activity, procurement and delivery is still currently being developed and will be dependent upon resource, required approvals and available funding.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff it has qualified to deliver cataract surgery in 2025, and how this compares with 2015.
Answer
The information requested on how many staff it has qualified to deliver cataract surgery in 2025, and how this compares with 2015 is not held centrally.
Information requested on how many Ophthalmology consultants are employed from 2015 to 2025 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reason why hundreds of police officers are reportedly having to work second jobs.
Answer
The assessment of requests and permission for officers seeking additional jobs or business interests are matters for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland has confirmed that an assessment is undertaken of every application for additional business interests, many of these agreed to are voluntary or charitable posts.
The Scottish Government values the dedication shown by police officers in Scotland. That’s why our police officers remain the best paid in the UK, recognising the hard work and valuable contribution they make daily, as well as our commitment to investing in policing.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many recorded accidents there have been on the Edinburgh City Bypass in each year since 1999.
Answer
The following table provides the number of injury road collisions recorded by Police Scotland as taking place on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass.
Year | Number of injury collisions |
1999 | 43 |
2000 | 43 |
2001 | 46 |
2002 | 41 |
2003 | 48 |
2004 | 52 |
2005 | 41 |
2006 | 62 |
2007 | 66 |
2008 | 51 |
2009 | 42 |
2010 | 43 |
2011 | 42 |
2012 | 61 |
2013 | 63 |
2014 | 78 |
2015 | 47 |
2016 | 57 |
2017 | 39 |
2018 | 47 |
2019 | 42 |
2020 | 21 |
2021 | 27 |
2022 | 32 |
2023 | 31 |
2024* | 24 |
*Note: figures for 2024 are provisional, as they are based on monthly returns received thus far from Police Scotland. This may be an incomplete picture of casualties due to a slight lag between collisions occurring and the data being processed and shared by Police Scotland. These figures are also subject to change due to subsequent corrections and late records.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 29 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve the mental health of police officers.
Answer
Whilst this is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, I am pleased that Police Scotland has signed up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment, which prioritises mental health in the workplace. In addition to Trauma Risk Incident Management assessments and Occupational Health counselling, Police Scotland has invested £17 million to enhance welfare provision. This included a new 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, direct access to occupational health services and a greater focus on mental health.
This highlights the priority that Police Scotland places on supporting the health and wellbeing of the workforce, supported by a Health and Wellbeing Action Plan to underpin delivery.