Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-06050

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of West Lothian Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06033

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Glasgow City Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6F-00849

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Information Commissioner’s Office recently issuing a reprimand to it and NHS National Services Scotland in relation to the COVID-19 status app.

Question reference: S6W-06487

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05454 by Kevin Stewart on 27 January 2022, how many NHS boards are receiving "enhanced support" to meet the standard that 90% of children and young people begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Question reference: S6W-06340

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current available GP capacity is for new patients.

Where GP practices are unable to routinely accept new patients onto their lists, Scottish Government expects Health Boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is appropriate to help manage the situation.

We recognise the need for more GPs in Scotland and this is why we have committed to increasing the workforce by 800 by 2027.

As part of the 2018 GP contract, we have recruited over 2400 Multi-Disciplinary team members. The recruitment of these pharmacists, advanced practitioner nurses, mental health workers, MSK Physios and Community Link Workers is helping create additional capacity in practices.

Question reference: S6W-06485

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current percentage is of children and young people who are starting treatment from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) within 18 weeks of referral.

Question reference: S6O-00810

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that farms are at the cutting edge of innovation and technology.

Question reference: S6W-06238

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05456 by Patrick Harvie on 31 January 2022, what the phrase, “where technically feasible and cost-effective to do so", means in practice.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce – subject to consultation later this year – regulations requiring Scotland’s homes and other buildings to meet EPC Band C equivalent by 2033, where that is technically feasible and cost effective.

We have previously consulted, in December 2019, on proposals to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in owner occupied housing, which included potential options for defining cost effectiveness and technical feasibility. We are further developing these definitions ahead of the planned consultation later this year, and in light of comments received to the 2019 consultation, the findings of which were published in February 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06245

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many free bikes have been given to school pupils since May 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06244

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many bikes have been repaired through the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme in each year since 2020.

Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme (SCRS) originally targeted to deliver 20,000 cycle repairs or services to people in Scotland, focusing on those that need the support the most. Repairs and servicing are provided through a network of over 300 shops, retailers, community organisations and sole traders. There have been two iterations of the scheme and the number of bikes repaired during each is as follows;

First iteration of Aug 2020 – May 2021: 31,562 bikes were repaired

Second iteration of Nov 2021 – May 2022: 8,153 bikes have been repaired so far.

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