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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

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Question reference: S6W-19492

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 29 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in relation to the development its new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Scotland.

Today I am pleased to announce the launch of the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Scotland, in partnership with COSLA.

The Strategy sets out our new long-term shared Vision for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Scotland, which is:

“of a Scotland, free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible .”

The Strategy is rightly ambitious. It covers all ages and all levels of need, and is built around the three pillars of “Promote, Prevent, Provide”. The Strategy identifies a set of outcomes that illustrate what a high-functioning whole system should look like, and the standard of support that anyone should be entitled to expect when they ask for help for any aspect of their mental health.

The Strategy reflects what we have heard over 18 months of consultation and co-production, with a particular focus on the voices of lived experience and the role of inequalities.

Whilst recognising that specialist services will always be a critical part of the whole system, the Strategy has a particular focus on the principles of prevention and early intervention, with support, care and treatment being delivered in a way that is as local as possible, and only as specialist as necessary. It also focuses on the social determinants and underlying causes of poor mental health, including inequalities. As well as being published jointly with COSLA, it is a cross-Government Strategy.

The accompanying Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan will both be agreed with stakeholders, and will be published in Autumn 2023. I will seek to secure a slot for a Ministerial statement at that stage to ensure that all members can contribute to a discussion on the full package of Strategy and Delivery Plans.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259275

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Executive Summary: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259282 .

Question reference: S6W-19494

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review.

I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government has today published a high-level response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review .

The Review, chaired by Lord Scott KC, recommended changes to mental health and capacity law, policy and practice to improve the protection and fulfilment of human rights in the short, medium and long term.

Our response outlines our intention to establish a new long-term programme of improvement and reform in response to the ambition set out by the Review. In it, we set out our vision for change and outline our priorities for reform.

The Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme will update and modernise our mental health and capacity legislation to better align with international human rights. It will be a long term programme that supports change to give people greater control over their own lives, care and treatment.

An early focus will be on strengthening rights protections for Adults with Incapacity, improving support for decision-making and the way in which human rights are put into practice. The response and early priorities have been informed by our initial engagement with a range of stakeholders.

A process of broader engagement will commence over the coming months to develop and refine the detail of our plans and support progress in putting these into action. Further detail about the Programme and plans for delivery will be published in stages from Autumn 2023. I will seek to secure a slot for a Ministerial statement at that stage to ensure that members can contribute to a discussion on our plans for a Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme.

Question reference: S6O-02335

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 has assisted the police in responding to reports of assault, threat or abuse of retail workers.

Question reference: S6W-18643

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 31 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in relation to developing its new dementia strategy for Scotland.

We are pleased to announce today the launch of our New Dementia Strategy for Scotland , in partnership with COSLA.

It sets a 10-year vision for dementia policy, directly informed by the voices of lived experience and wider partners.

The strategy identifies a number of areas where we will focus our attention to improve the lives of people living with dementia, their families and care partners, with a focus on the role of our communities.

It also follows an 8-month engagement process, including a National Conversation with individuals and organisations from across Scotland, and an independent evidence review focussed on health inequalities, and what is making a difference in practice here and internationally.

Building on our strong record of working closely with the voices of lived experience, our National Dementia Lived Experience Panel played a direct governance role in the Strategy’s development. This has ensured their voices are central to the formation of this vision, and that this Strategy’s aspirations reflect their own.

We are clear that the strategy is only the first part, and that we change experiences through delivery. Our first 2-year delivery plan will be agreed with people with lived experience and wider partners by December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-17875

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 being laid before the UK Parliament, whether it will provide an update on its policy regarding the use of electric shock collars on dogs.

Question reference: S6O-02201

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the welfare of animals used in greyhound racing in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16996

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Clyde Gateway in each year since it was established, broken down by the purpose of the funding.

The Scottish Government has awarded over £205 million of regeneration funding to Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) from 2007 to 2023 for the purpose of supporting the delivery of its 20-year operating plan. This includes direct support through annual capital and resource funding to develop and regenerate key sites identified in the plan, support core running costs and other activities it delivers in support of local communities.

Grant awards were made in each financial year are provided in the following table:

Financial Year	Capital funding £000	Resource funding	Comment
2006-07	3,022
2007-08	5,000
2008-09 to 2010-11	57,000		Three-year funding from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011
2011-12	11,554	746
2012-13	17,725	1,525
2013-14	19,525	1,525
2014-15	9,290	1,850
2015-16	1,816	184
2016-17	3,070	500
2017-18	5,000	500
2018-19	5,000	500
2019-20	6,130	500
2020-21	6,000	1,000	£500k revenue funding provided to support COVID-19 response.
2021-22	9,000	500
2022-23	5,500	500

We understand that Clyde Gateway in delivering their strategic operational plan have since their formation in 2007 developed and delivered numerous projects to support the communities. Information on all of the grants Clyde Gateway may have received from various funding bodies supported with Scottish Government funding is not held centrally in the format requested. We can advise that information on the following grants awarded to Clyde Gateway is held:

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF): recommended projects 2014 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme

Low Carbon Fund: Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Investing in Communities Fund

Investing in Communities Fund - round 1 2019 to 2022 : panel approved organisations - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting Clyde Gateway URC, working with local and regional partners to deliver a place-based regeneration programme that tackles inequalities, creates jobs and opportunities, and improves outcomes for local people and communities. In 2023-24 continued funding of up to £5 million capital will be made through the Place Based Investment Programme and £0.5 million resource funding to support core running costs.

Question reference: S6W-16892

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the decontamination of land in the Shawfield area of the Rutherglen constituency.

Question reference: S6W-17155

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many people under 22 in South Lanarkshire have registered for a free bus pass through the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme.

As at the end of the day 31 March 2023, there were 36,131 cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme in South Lanarkshire.

This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO supports the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The figure includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile app.

Question reference: S6W-16891

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations made in the Independent Forensic Mental Health Review: final report.