Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-22764

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (On behalf of the SPCB) on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will engage with the Armed Forces Parliamentary Trust regarding a possible extension of eligibility for participation in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme to MSPs.

In 2017, a scheme was developed in conjunction with the Armed Forces in Scotland to enable Members to visit defence bases in Scotland to help Members better understand the range of social and welfare issues relevant to armed forces personnel, and their families, within their community. The programme was suspended during COVID and re-started in 2022.

These visits are open to all Members and are arranged through the different service secretariats based in Scotland.

It was agreed that this scheme would be a better fit for the Parliament than the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme that operates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and there are no plans to review the scheme at this time.

Since 2017, many Members have taken part in the Armed Forces Visits Programme, visiting defence bases across Scotland. In 2018, the Scottish Parliament hosted a reciprocal inward visit for 16 representatives from the armed services in Scotland, providing them with an opportunity to meet and shadow Members. There have been a number of outward visits for Members this year and parliamentary officials are currently exploring the possibility of resuming the inward visit.

In addition, the Presiding Officer and Clerk/Chief Executive regularly arrange events at the Scottish Parliament for the armed forces to brief Members on current issues.

Question reference: S6W-22875

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase manufacturing output as a share of GDP.

The Scottish Government wants a strong manufacturing sector, one which is innovative, thriving and international looking. We are supporting our manufacturing companies to increase their output, sustainability and efficiency through a range of funding programmes and initiatives.

Our £75 million investment into the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland represents a real investment in our manufacturing sector’s future; helping both our large and small manufactures to unlock productivity gains through developing new products and processes and transforming their skillsets. Twelve Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund projects are also delivering free support to SMEs.

Our £26 million Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund is helping our manufacturers progress towards net zero by providing funding for innovative proposals to decarbonise manufacturing processes. This will better enable our manufacturers to enter low carbon markets and supply chains, with potential benefits in terms of increasing productivity and output.

The Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service is also engaging with both large and small manufacturers to look at ways in which they can make improvements to their processes. Measures such as adopting plant efficiency savings and automation can help companies to significantly increase their output while also reducing costs.

Our Green Industrial Strategy - which is currently in development - will also set out how we plan to take advantage of Scotland’s green energy potential, which will have particular benefits for our manufacturers as we look to develop our supply chains.

Question reference: S6O-02814

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to mitigate any impact of the Illegal Migration Act on the provision of support for refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people living in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22777

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any potential implications for the competitive position of the steel plants at Clydebridge in Cambuslang and Dalzell in Motherwell, to the reported proposal by British Steel to invest £1.25 billion, with the support of the UK Government, in two electric arc furnaces at its headquarters in Scunthorpe and its manufacturing site in Teesside.

I refer to recent answers regarding Liberty Steel in Scotland, in particular my answers to written questions S6W-17169 on 4 May 2023 , S6W-17708 on 16 May 2023 and S6W-21489 on 26 September 2023.

Scottish Government maintain an open dialogue with Liberty Steel and have a number of regular meetings with them.

The question of whether or not to install additional equipment at the Dalzell is an operational matter for Liberty Steel. I understand from the business that there are currently no plans to install an Electric Arc Furnace at Dalzell.

The Clydebridge site is not currently operational and no staff are currently employed at the site. The future of the site is an operational matter for Liberty Steel.

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

Question reference: S6W-22883

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19399 by Jenni Minto on 11 July 2023, whether it will provide details of how the National Service Division’s National Specialist Services Committee is engaging with clinicians in Dundee and colleagues in NHS Scotland to determine how magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment might be made more widely available.

Officials are engaging with NHS National Services Division (NSD) regularly on the national commissioning of this treatment.

An outline application for the commissioning of a national MRI guided Focussed Ultrasound Service was received from NHS Tayside in March 2023. Subsequent correspondence with NHS Tayside indicated the board was supportive in principle in moving forward with the more detailed planning required to develop a formal specification and proposal.

NHS NSD have encouraged the MRgFUS team in NHS Tayside to submit a formal application for national designation of the MRgFUS service in Dundee, supported by the health board’s Executive Leadership Team, for consideration and scrutiny. NSD hopes to receive such an application from NHS Tayside for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-22955

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current research and development spending is as a percentage of Scottish gross domestic product.

In 2021, Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) as a share of GDP was estimated at 2.98% in Scotland. This statistic is sourced from the latest GERD Scotland report, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/gross-expenditure-on-research-and-development-scotland-2021/

Note that the GERD estimates for Scotland are provisional and subject to future revision. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) have recently changed their measurement of Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) expenditure which has led to significant uplift revisions to GERD estimates. Work is currently underway between the Scottish Government and the ONS to further quality assure the new methodology.

Question reference: S6W-22765

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much has been paid by registered social landlords in fees to consultants appointed under the direction of the Scottish Housing Regulator in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-22766

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Afghanistan opium survey 2023, by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which reports that cultivation and production of opium has dropped by 95% in Afghanistan over the last year, and what assessment it has made of any implications of this for opiate supply in Scotland, including in particular any risks of increased domestic production or import of fentanyl or other synthetic opioids.

The appearance of synthetic opioids in the drug supply has been a concern for Scottish Government for some time and something which will likely be exacerbated by the reduction in opium production as reported by the UNODC. We are working alongside colleagues across the UK to identify areas for collaborative working on this issue with the various UK administrations, national police forces and the National Crime Agency.

Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are often extremely potent opioid receptor agonists, however, naloxone is still effective in the treatment of any overdose. This is why we have invested over £3 million in widening access to naloxone, making it easier for people to access and supporting Police Scotland and our other emergency services to carry kits.

Having reliable data about substances of concern in the drug supply is key and is why we have supported Public Health Scotland to establish the RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) system. We also continue to progress plans with local partners to establish drug checking facilities as this will also provide up-to-date information about the substances in the drug supply. We are aware that nitazenes have been present in the drug supply and Public Health Scotland issued an alert regarding nitazenes in January 2023 and the UK Government have since issued a similar alert. RADARs quarterly report published in October 2023 also reported that nitzenes have been detected in post-mortem and hospital toxicology samples.

Recognising the global challenge around the appearance of new synthetic opioids, the Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and members of the Scottish Governments National Mission Oversight Group on Drugs are meeting with international colleagues to hear about their experience of dealing with the appearance of fentanyl and synthetic opioids in the drug supply, and their response, in early November. A further meeting is being organised to discuss operational level issues with international colleagues and Scottish drug service delivery providers.

Question reference: S6W-22573

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19858 by Maree Todd on 24 July 2023, whether it can provide an exact date for when the Workforce Action Plan and Delivery Plan for its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy will be published.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan were published on 7 November 2023; alongside an Easy Read version of the Delivery Plan and the Workforce Action Plan Summary of Phase 1 Activity.

The documents are available at the following links:

Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan – https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835215098

Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan Easy Read - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835214800

Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan – https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835215104

Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan Summary of Phase 1 Activity - http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835215104/documents/

Question reference: S6W-22053

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what the revised projected journey time will be between Glasgow Central Station and London Euston Station, in light of the UK Government's decision to cancel High Speed 2 Phase Two, and what impact it anticipates this decision will have on modal shift from domestic air travel between Glasgow Airport and London airports, in light of its aim to encourage modal shift to more sustainable travel.

We do not hold information on the revised projected passenger journey times between Glasgow Central Station and London Euston Station following the UK Government’s recent decisions on High Speed Two.

The UK Government has yet to advise us what its plans for Glasgow to London rail services will be in the light of this recent cancellation.

The Scottish Government is of the view that this decision will not assist modal shift from air travel.

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