- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 18 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the (a) widows, (b) widowers and (c) partners of people who have died as the result of infection with contaminated blood or blood products are eligible for pension payments through the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme.
Answer
All widows, widowers, civil partners and long-term partners of beneficiaries whose infection directly contributed to their death are eligible to apply for annual payments from the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme. These are not pension payments; they are annual ex gratia payments. The independent clinical review of the impacts of chronic hepatitis C infection is currently considering whether there is evidence of chronic hepatitis C leading to death in certain circumstances; it is expected to produce findings on this soon.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 18 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how much the EU provides to support mental health research in Scotland, and what additional funding the Scottish Government can provide to support such research following Brexit.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on EU funding of specific clinical research areas.
We welcome confirmation of the UK Government’s plans to continue to participate in EU science and innovation programmes. However, as set out in Scotland’s Place in Europe, we firmly believe that the best way to guarantee EU funding is by maintaining our existing relationship with the EU. Scotland, the UK and EU partners all benefit from EU research funding programmes and collaborative working and continued access to funding at levels at least equivalent to those currently available under current EU programmes (e.g. Horizon 2020) will underpin research partnerships and collaborations with European partners in key areas such as mental health research. There is a risk that diminished international competitiveness and influence of the Scottish health research sector, coupled with exclusion from collaborative networks with others in the EU, may reduce the attraction of Scotland to potential collaborative partners outside the EU. We will continue to engage with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland’s views regarding access to EU funding and programmes are reflected in any negotiations.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 18 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost to extend the improved lump sum payment for chronic beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme from surviving infected people to (a) widows, (b) widowers and (c) estates.
Answer
In accordance with the report of the Financial Review Group, only living beneficiaries with chronic hepatitis C infection only (formerly known as Stage 1 by the Skipton Fund) were eligible for the additional £30,000 lump sum that was awarded on the basis of long-term health impact. Four of these additional lump sum payments have been made by the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme to the estates of the deceased where the beneficiaries died after 1 April 2016, before they had the opportunity to claim the additional lump sum in the financial year 2016-17; this therefore cost £120,000. The new financial support arrangements have been in place from 2016-17, although they were initially delivered by the Skipton Fund in late 2016-17 as a transitional measure. The Skipton Fund therefore also made additional lump sum payments to estates where the beneficiary had died after 1 April 2016, prior to the management of the scheme transferring to the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme on 1 April 2017.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the promotion of unhealthy items, such as food and drink that is high in fat, sugar or salt, by (a) supermarkets and (b) manufacturers through (i) marketing and advertising, (ii) online advertising and targeting and (iii) loyalty schemes, and what discussions it has with (A) the major supermarket chains, (B) manufacturers and (C) representatives of the food and drink sector regarding this.
Answer
To inform Scottish Government policy development, NHS Health Scotland published ‘Rapid evidence review - restriction of price promotions’ in October 2017. This paper provides an overview of evidence on the impact of HFSS promotions on consumer purchasing and consumption behaviour and the effectiveness of promotional interventions to influence consumer behaviour in a retail environment. It is available at http://www.healthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-evidence-review-restriction-of-price-promotions
Following on from data previously published in 2016, Food Standards Scotland published ‘Monitoring retail purchase and price promotions in Scotland (2010 - 2016)’ in February. The report provides information on retail purchase and price promotions in Scotland between 2010 and 2016, using data from Kantar Worldpanel. It is available at http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/publications-and-research/monitoring-retail-purchase-and-price-promotions-in-scotland-2010-2016 .
As part of our consultation on a draft healthy weight strategy, which included plans to restrict price promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS), Scottish Government officials have had discussions with representatives of the food and drink sector and with representatives of some major supermarket chains and manufacturers.
To support the development of detailed policy and impact assessments, officials will continue to meet industry representatives and carry out further analyses.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 28 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that applicants and claimants who (a) do not have internet access or (b) lack digital skills will not be digitally excluded from the new Scottish social security system.
Answer
Our aim is to design an inclusive service where the needs of our clients are at the heart of everything we do. This commitment will be given legislative underpinning by the recent amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill placing a duty on Ministers to have regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way.
We will be making use of various communication channels including post, telephone, and face-to-face, in addition to online services, to give citizens the choice of how they wish to communicate with us. Once fully operational, locally based Social Security staff will provide face-to-face support close to home, to help complete forms and provide advice on payments and other benefits clients may be entitled to. Telephone support will also provide digital assistance for those who wish to submit an online form but need help to do so.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is giving to local authorities to provide automatic awards of school clothing grants to eligible families.
Answer
The automation of benefits is a matter for local authorities to decide, taking into account local needs and priorities. We are aware that some local authorities, such as Glasgow City Council are already operating an automated system for paying benefits, including school clothing grants. We will continue to work closely with Glasgow City Council to share learning and inform best practice going forward.
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 requires Scottish Ministers, when developing a Delivery Plan, to consider how we could support local authorities to consider the automatic payments of benefits and support. The first Delivery Plan required under the Act will be published by 1 April.
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling digital exclusion.
Answer
The latest figures show that digital participation in Scotland has risen from 62.7% in 2007 to 82% in 2016. Since 2007, the gap in internet access between the lowest and highest income brackets has decreased from 67% to 30% in 2016. Although good progress is being made, the Scottish Government recognises that participation levels are lowest amongst some key, vulnerable groups and are focusing efforts on helping them gain the skills and confidence to get on line.
The digital participation strategy, “A National Framework for Local Action” sets out our approach to tackling the barriers to digital participation in our most marginalised communities and finding solutions for various demographic groups. The strategy included the establishment of the Digital Participation Charter Fund which is administered by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). Our partnership with the SCVO achieves the shared goal of tackling digital exclusion by delivering digital literacy training in community settings. This ensures that anyone who wants to improve their skills and get online will be able to find a venue offering them the training they need.
The Fund provides support for organisations to assist digitally excluded people to gain or improve basic online skills. Since 2014, there has been five rounds of funding providing support to 143 organisations and helping over 15,000 people.
We have also worked with SCVO to refresh the Digital Participation Charter which aims to create a cross sector movement of support for the development of basic digital skills. Further information on the Charter and SCVO’s work on digital exclusion can be found via the following link: https://digitalparticipation.scot/
Additional details about the Scottish Government’s work on digital participation are available here: https://beta.gov.scot/policies/digital/digital-participation/
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will respond to the consultation on improving the protection of wild mammals.
Answer
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish National Investment Bank will have the power to refuse to lend to commercially-viable businesses that it considers operate against its public-purpose missions.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2018
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported concerns that school uniform policies that require families to purchase branded, rather than generic, items can have a negative impact on their affordability.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for their own school uniform policy, as part of their responsibilities for school rules. The Scottish Government does encourage local authorities to consider how they can work with schools to ensure that uniform policies do not present a barrier to learning for those families living on low incomes.
The Scottish Government believes the wearing of a school uniform is a key part of the drive to improve discipline and raise attainment in schools. There are many advantages to wearing a school uniform, these include reducing competition between pupils in respect of clothing brands, which in turn reduces the causes of bullying; creating a positive image of the school within the local community; and they are also good from a school’s security perspective since it allows school staff to easily identify people who do not belong to the school.
