- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Denham on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to regulate spray paint sales.
Answer
Under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, it is a criminal offence to sell an aerosol paint container to anyone under the age of 16. We believe that the current legislation protects young people and helps to prevent graffiti, while ensuring those wishing to buy spray paint for legitimate purposes can do so. The Scottish Government therefore has no plans to change the legislation at this time.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26493 by Clare Haughey on 9 December 2019, whether it will provide the same information for 2019-20.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Scottish Health Service Costs are published annually by Public Health Scotland.
Publication of data for 2019-20, which includes Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services spending, has been further delayed and is expected to be published on 23 February 2021.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much hospital waste has been (a) generated and (b) stored at sites in Scotland in each month in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2021.
Answer
a) The following table shows the amount of clinical waste generated by the NHS in Scotland in 2020 and 2021:
Year | Month | Waste (tonnes) |
2020 | January | 1,568 |
February | 1,472 |
March | 1,602 |
April | 1,415 |
May | 1,404 |
June | 1,528 |
July | 1,605 |
August | 1,926 |
September | 1,637 |
October | 1,701 |
November | 1,690 |
December | 1,634 |
2021 | January | 1,578 |
b) NHS sites do not routinely store waste, waste that is generated on site remains on site until the next scheduled collection.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Denham on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) rates of prosecution of and (b) fines given to people who cause damage to (i) private and (ii) public property through graffiti.
Answer
The most recent published National Statistics for Recorded Crime in Scotland shows that in the period 2019-20, there were 45,074 recorded cases in the “vandalism etc” category, which includes sub categories malicious mischief, vandalism, culpable and reckless conduct (not with firearms), reckless conduct with firearms, culpable and reckless conduct involving aircraft, a 1 per cent decrease on the previous year, and a continuation of the overall longer trend which has seen a 42 per cent decrease in the number of vandalism crimes recorded since 2010-11. 1,615 people were prosecuted specifically for vandalism in 2018-19. Conviction for spraying graffiti is embedded in this figure.
However, we recognise that the impact of COVID-19 restrictions may have changed the profile of incidents of graffiti in Scotland and are supporting the charity Nil by Mouth to undertake an audit of the levels and types of graffiti that local authorities have been experiencing so that we can build a more up-to-date picture of the issues caused by graffiti in Scotland since the beginning of lockdown. This work began recently and will be carried out over the next few months.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people who have died from suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
Statistics which cover suicide figures in Scotland during the pandemic period from 2020 to 2021 are not yet available. National Records of Scotland expect to publish the 2020 figures in June 2021.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when the implementation plan for the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland will be published.
Answer
We are committed to continuous improvement in the diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions which is why set out in our Programme for Government a Respiratory Action Plan to deliver these key priorities.
The final Respiratory Care Action Plan will be published later this year and following publication, an implementation plan will be developed with input from a National Advisory Board and key delivery partners. As we develop and finalise these plans we will have a clearer understanding of funding required to deliver the commitments and priorities set out in the Respiratory Care Action Plan.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in each year since 2007.
Answer
The Scottish Government has discussions with NHS Lothian regularly regarding its capital investment plans, including its plans for the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the First Minister on 8 December 2020 (Official Report, c. 11), , whether it will provide further details and the scientific advice for its reasons to keep Edinburgh subject to Level 3 restrictions, and what its response is to reports of confusion among residents in Edinburgh regarding restrictions not being reduced to Level 2, in light of the city reportedly meeting the published criteria for this.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33923 on 3 February 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the First Minister referred to the imminence of Christmas as a factor only in relation to Edinburgh's COVID-19 restriction level during her statement on 8 December 2020 (Official Report, c. 11).
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33923 on 3 February 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether betting shops were included in the list of businesses eligible for the retail, hospitality and leisure support grant that was available until 10 July 2020, and what the reasons were for its decision on this matter.
Answer
To qualify for the retail, hospitality and leisure grant a business had to be operating in the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors and the premises recorded in the valuation roll as being used for one of the qualifying purposes. An outline of the qualifying purposes was provided in the guidance for Local Authorities in Finance Circular 08/2020 . The grant scheme was designed to ensure most efficient use of limited resources and support as many businesses as possible. While betting shops were not listed as a qualifying purpose for the retail, hospitality and leisure grants, they were listed as eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund.
Our focus is on delivering the maximum support for businesses and the economy as possible and from 2 November the Strategic Framework Business Fund offers grants for businesses required to close by law, or specifically required to modify their operations by law.