- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent reported comments by Derek Feeley regarding the lack of a detailed budget for its proposals for a National Care Service.
Answer
The Financial Memorandum set out the range of possible costs for the NCS.
The NCS is being developed through a Co-Design approach. We are starting to work with the Lived Experience Experts Panel on larger scale co-design, and will continue to work with a range of organisations and individuals alongside the panel.
We will design and develop the NCS with the real experts, those who rely on social care, unpaid carers and the workforce.
The finances are being constantly monitored and reviewed as new information becomes available. Through the business case process we will continue to provide greater detail and clarity.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered publishing alongside its new Climate Change Plan a comprehensive statement of its global, regional, intra-UK and bilateral diplomacy to encourage and agree country-based or co-operative action on climate change or climate finance.
Answer
As required by the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, the Climate Change Plan will set out proposals and policies for supporting, including by the sharing of expertise and technology, action in developing countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and adapt to the effects of climate change.
With regards to intra-UK diplomacy, Scottish Government officials are engaged in regular meetings with counterparts in the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, and we repeatedly promote joint collaboration in areas that will be essential to delivering net zero. The next Climate Change Plan will set out where action will be needed by the UK Government to reduce emissions within reserved areas in order for Scotland to meet its emissions reduction targets.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 21 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-11464 and S6W-11465 by Dorothy Bain on 1 November 2022, whether the 90% of final post-mortem reports that have been received within 12 weeks of the date of post-mortem are received by the next of kin of the deceased, or whether this figure represents the percentage of cases closed within 12 weeks.
Answer
The figure quoted in answer S6W-11465 represents the percentage of final post mortem reports received by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). It is not related to a specific target for toxicology or pathology providers, but demonstrates the continued efficacy of the improvement plan put in place to reduce the timescale for completion of toxicological analysis, and thereafter a final post mortem report in each case.
Once received by COPFS, each report then requires to be considered by a Procurator Fiscal (and the nearest relative made aware of any change to the cause of death) before determining whether the death investigation can be closed, or whether further inquiries are necessary. Performance continues to improve in that respect and in this reporting year to date (as at 7 November), in 65% of deaths which require further investigation, the investigation was concluded and the nearest relative advised of the outcome within 12 weeks of the death being reported to COPFS.
Given the nature and content of post mortem reports, nearest relatives do not automatically receive a copy but COPFS will provide one to them or their general practitioner if they wish and will, if relatives find it helpful, facilitate a meeting with the relevant pathologist(s) to discuss the findings and answer any further questions that relatives might have.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 18 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether additional support for people attending mammogram appointments, such as an updated NHS preparation guide for patients and optional aftercare support for those who find the appointment to be distressing, will be included in its new Cancer Strategy.
Answer
The content of the Cancer Strategy is still being developed, however, a Breast Screening Modernisation Programme has been established which will drive forward work around the 17 recommendations that were included in the Major Review of the Breast Screening Programme, published May 2022 – Scottish Breast Screening Programme: major review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
A Breast Screening Modernisation Programme Board has also been established with an independent chair – Dr Marzi Davies. The work of this Board will strengthen the breast screening programme and address inequalities, including additional support and equal access for all.
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects the phase-out of oil and gas production and use to be complete.
Answer
Offshore oil and gas licensing is reserved to UK Government. Scottish Government is clear the world cannot extract fossil fuels indefinitely, if we are to reach the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Instead, we must accelerate development of renewable sources of energy, providing new jobs, and enabling a faster transition from oil and gas.
We are conducting analysis to better understand Scotland’s energy requirements as we transition to net zero, ensuring an approach that supports and protects our energy security and our highly skilled workforce whilst meeting our climate obligations. We will publish our Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan later this year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out a pathway to the phasing out of oil and gas production and use.
Answer
The Scottish Government will consult on a draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) in the coming months.
The ESJTP will outline a co-ordinated vision for Scotland’s future energy system setting out a route map of steps required to deliver the vision and highlighting the energy sector’s role in achieving our emissions reduction targets.
The Scottish Government is clear that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations and is not the right solution to the real cost of living crisis families are facing. We support the fastest possible just transition for the sector and the oil and gas workforce, the communities in which they live and work, and the regional economies that have greatly benefited from oil and gas activities and have much to gain from the transition to net zero.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide capital or revenue funding for local transport authorities to establish their own bus networks, in light of calls from Strathclyde Partnership Transport in its recent newsletter for October 2022.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11821 on 11 November 2022, work is currently ongoing with local authorities and COSLA to determine how best to allocate funding in light of the emergency budget review. 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 .
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported announcement by the President of the United States of America regarding pardoning people convicted federally of "simple possession" of cannabis, whether it plans to consider the possibility of taking similar action for people convicted in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government takes a public health approach to drug use and believe that the current UK drug legislation is rooted in an outdated view that drug use is a criminal justice matter. That is why I was pleased when the Lord Advocate decided that an extension of the Recorded Police Warning Guidelines to include possession offences for Class A drugs was appropriate. Police officers in Scotland may now choose to issue a Recorded Police Warning for simple possession offences for all classes of drugs.
However, as you are aware the subject matter of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is reserved. Accordingly the Scottish Government is limited in what it could do in this domain, and could not bring forward legislation to pardon those convicted of an offence under that Act. If these powers were to come to Scotland in the future, we would be open to exploring this further alongside amending the legislation to better fit with the realities and evolving nature of Scotland’s drug deaths challenge.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions finance ministers have had with the Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training to assess the number of construction apprentices and construction workers needed to support the recovery of Scotland’s economy and meet its net zero targets.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022
