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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-03522

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to assess how autism diagnosis waiting times could be routinely recorded and published.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children’s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland. Scottish Government have also commissioned Directors of eHealth, working with others including Public Health Scotland, to work to improve digital infrastructure, applications and data to report on all standards within the National Neurodevelopmental Specification.

In addition to these actions, and to support this work, £3.06 million has been allocated to NHS Boards, for the remainder of this year, to build professional capacity within Boards to support children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs.

The Scottish Government has also established the National Autism Implementation Team, in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and improve service in adult autism diagnostic services. The National Implementation Team is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards.

Question reference: S6O-00319

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are currently in place to ensure the protection and preservation of war memorials.

Question reference: S6W-03677

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult on legislation to extend the framework for the licensing of activities involving animals to include dog (a) walking, (b) grooming and (c) boarding services.

The Programme for Government 2020-21 commits the Scottish Government to consult on legislation to extend the new framework that came into force on 1 September for the licensing of animal welfare establishments, dog, cat and rabbit breeding and pet sales to performing animals and animal care services. This could include dog walking and grooming, as well as boarding services which are currently regulated under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

We plan to bring forward consultations in this area in due course after allowing a period of familiarisation with the recent licensing changes, so that the practical experiences of local authorities in implementing these can be considered in any future proposals.

Question reference: S6F-00348

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 October 2021

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will review the implementation date for changes to allow parents to defer their child's start at primary school.

Question reference: S6W-03015

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to (a) help the private nursery sector implement the roll-out of 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare and (b) ensure that the private and public nursery sectors are being supported equally.

Funded early learning and childcare (ELC) is delivered across the public, private, third and childminding sectors. Since August 2021, all local authority areas have put in place an expanded offer of up to 1140 hours of funded ELC for all eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

Funded ELC is delivered in a ‘provider neutral’ way, which means that families can access high quality funded ELC with the provider of their choice – in the public, private, third sector or a childminder – if that provider meets the criteria set out in our National Standard, has a space available, and is in contract with their local authority to deliver the funded hours.

Sustainable and thriving public, private, third and childminding sectors are essential if we are to realise the full benefits of the ELC expansion. The landmark multi-year funding agreement reached by Scottish Government and COSLA in April 2018 to fully fund the expansion to 1140 hours includes funding for the payment of sustainable rates that reflect the cost of delivery and enable payment of the real Living Wage to childcare workers delivering the funded entitlement. In addition, the Scottish Government announced on 4 December 2020 that qualifying day nurseries will continue to benefit from 100% relief on non-domestic rates until at least June 2023.

The Scottish Government has also taken a range of actions to support providers in the private, third, and childminding sectors during the pandemic, including making available more than £22 million of dedicated support.

On 31 August the Scottish Government published the Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland . The Health Check collected evidence on the sustainability of the childcare sector, in particular in light of the impacts of COVID-19. It set out a range of actions to improve sector sustainability, including:

Developing a programme of targeted business, financial management, marketing and human resources support for all types of childcare services.
Developing a five year workforce strategy to support recruitment and retention in the sector and introducing a Childcare Taster Programme as part of the National Transitions Training Fund in 2021-22.
Strengthening the process for local authorities to set sustainable rates for providers in the private, third and childminding sectors to deliver funded ELC; and
Reviewing the administrative requirements on providers, particularly for private, third and childminding sector services.

Each of these actions will help us to support the sector to recover from Covid and get onto a sustainable footing so that they can continue playing a vital role in delivering our ambitious vision for expanding high quality early learning and childcare.

Question reference: S6W-02524

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its position is on and (b) support it can provide to pet owners in (i) local authority and (ii) privately-rented accommodation who face their lease being terminated at short notice and may be required to give up their pet should the only available alternative property have a landlord that does not accept pets.

We understand the benefits of having a pet and sympathise with tenants who have to give up their pet when they move to a home where no pets are allowed. Decisions on whether pets are allowed in a tenancy are a matter for individual landlords and will be reflected in each tenancy agreement.

Landlords should however give careful consideration to policies that restrict pet ownership. We would encourage both social and private rented sector landlords to take a practical and considered approach to this and consider the benefits of reduced social isolation and loneliness that can come from pet ownership, particularly in cases where a tenant has a pet and needs to move to a new tenancy.

As part of the shared policy programme between the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party a new deal for tenants will be the focus of a Rented Sector Strategy we will publish by the end of 2021, and consult on in early 2022. This new deal will introduce new and strengthened rights for tenants, for example giving tenants greater flexibility to decorate their home and to keep pets.

Question reference: S6O-00202

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many systemic reaction specialists there are who can support people who have had an allergic reaction to their first COVID-19 vaccine.

Question reference: S6O-00177

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in meeting its target of planting 30 million trees by the end of 2021, and whether it achieved the 22 million target last year.

Question reference: S6W-02584

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the allocation of the £10 million being provided to schools to improve ventilation and CO2 monitoring, also broken down by how many schools in each local authority have received this funding.

Distribution of the £10 million funding has now been agreed with COSLA leaders.

Each local authority will receive an equitable share of the funding on the understanding that it is used for its intended purpose. These include covering the costs of CO2 monitors, including any purchased to date specifically for school CO2 monitoring, and expert staff. However, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, and it will be for them disseminate the funding to their schools.

A previous allocation of £90 million COVID logistics funding was also provided to local authorities for uses including improved ventilation.

Question reference: S6O-00102

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the National Autistic Society, in light of its reported concerns regarding support for families during the COVID-19 pandemic.