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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: S6O-00273

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of people who have downloaded the NHS Scotland COVID Status app.

Question reference: S6W-02976

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made implementing a student mental health action plan that embeds mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum.

We are well on our way to achieving our commitment to introduce more than 80 additional counsellors in colleges and universities. Funding for the 2021-22 Academic Year, set at £4.23 million, an increase of almost £0.6 million on last year’s budget, will help address the issue of equity of access, a key commitment in our Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Over the coming months, the Scottish Government will work closely with sector and wider stakeholders, to further ensure equity of access to counsellors and to take forward our commitments to embed mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum, through the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-02975

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken regarding any barriers preventing BAME people from (a) accessing mental health services and (b) understanding and communicating their own mental health.

In our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan we committed to considering and addressing the causes of mental health inequality at a structural and individual level, particularly the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of minority ethnic groups. We have established a Mental Health Equality and Human Rights Stakeholder Forum, with representation from organisations representing Race equality, to provide advice on the implementation of the Plan and wider equalities work within mental health policy. The Forum first met in February and we continue to consult with the group as we implement the Plan.

We recognise that there is a need to improve data collection to help us understand any barriers faced by people from minority ethnic communities accessing mental health support, as has been recommended by the Expert Reference Group on Covid and Ethnicity and the Mental Welfare Commission in its recent publication on Racial Inequality and Mental Health in Scotland.

As part of the Scottish Government’s Equality Data Improvement Programme, government analysts are assessing evidence, including on ethnicity/race, across the health and social care portfolio and are committed to developing an action plan to improve equality data. Scoping of requirements for initial research on mental health and ethnicity will take place over the coming months.

Question reference: S6O-00104

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West 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 what action it is taking to address the reported backlog of NHS operations.

Question reference: S6W-01911

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports regarding deaths and people getting into difficulty in the water, what plans it has to review the funding arrangements for the park rangers of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

In light of the tragic incidents over the weekend of 24 th & 25 th July 2021, the LLTTNPA have held a series of urgent meetings with each of the local authorities, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. These partnership meetings are aimed at reviewing existing water safety measures and identifying any potential further actions to be taken both in the short and the longer term.

The next Scottish Government annual budget review will take place in September 2021 for 2022-2023 period. The review will provide LLTNPA with an opportunity to outline to the Scottish Government their planned and committed expenditure and any additional needs for funding taking into account developments and events over the last 12 months.

Question reference: S6O-00085

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to support new entrants to the agriculture sector.

Question reference: S6O-00055

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the business sector regarding the current COVID-19 regulations.

Question reference: S6W-00440

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether planning regulations need reforming, and what its response is to reports of decisions by East Dunbartonshire Council being overturned by Ministers, leading to pressure on local infrastructure and loss of greenbelt land.

The Scottish Government is currently progressing a programme of reform of Scotland’s planning system, including implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

The right to appeal certain planning decisions made by local planning authorities is a long-established and important part of the planning system, recently supported by the Scottish Parliament in passing the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. In the vast majority of appeals independent reporters from the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) are appointed to decide the appeal. In all cases the reporter is required by statute to make the final decision on the planning merits of the case, in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The reporter takes full account of submissions made by all parties involved in the appeal, including those made by members of the local community.

Since 1 January 2018 reporters have made the final decision on 8 planning appeals in East Dunbartonshire Council area - refusing the appeal on six occasions and allowing the appeal and granting planning permission on two occasions. One of the proposals granted planning permission was an extension to the Bearsden Golf Club and the other for residential development in Bishopbriggs. In both appeals the reporter found that the proposal conformed with the Development Plan.

Question reference: S6T-00024

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Audit Scotland report, which highlighted that the gap between colleges funding and expenditure has grown to £54 million.