- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) dementia charities and (b) health and social care partnerships for the provision of support for people with dementia.
Answer
The Dementia Strategy for Scotland (published by Scottish Government and COSLA in 2023) sets out an ambitious 10-year vision for dementia policy in Scotland, developed in collaboration with people with lived experience and wider partners. This includes third sector, local authority and healthcare organisations. The first 2-year delivery plan was subsequently published in February of this year, setting out the key deliverables being prioritised in this initial period. This was agreed with the National Dementia Lived Experience Panel, and local/national delivery partners including HSCP representatives and dementia charities. It includes:
- Launching the new Rethink Dementia anti-stigma campaign on Wednesday 4th September. The campaign is intended to increase awareness that maintaining relationships with someone with a diagnosis is an important part of helping them keep well for longer.
- A £600,000 fund to support and sustain community-led work across Scotland, allocated via a Resilient Communities Programme board made up of local, national and community representatives.
- Continuing our additional investment of £3.5m a year, to enhance access to dementia post-diagnostic support, in addition to the routine spending on dementia support services by local partnerships.
- Working with partners in Public Health Scotland to develop a clearer understanding of the number of people with dementia in Scotland, with a strengthened focus on inclusion and equalities.
This work sits alongside ongoing activity, locally and nationally, to improve the dementia experience. This includes embedding a Getting It Right for Everyone approach to care and support wrapped around the person, continued investment of over £88m in local carers support, and collaborations with Alzheimer Scotland and others to empower people living with dementia to participate in the design, and development, of the National Care Service.
We look forward to continuing to engage with partners within the Member’s region and beyond, to improve the dementia experience.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the link between alcohol addiction and suicide, in light of the reported comment by the deputy chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland that the link between the two is on an "upwards trajectory".
Answer
Creating Hope Together, our 10 year joint suicide prevention strategy with COSLA, adopts a whole of government and society approach to reducing suicide in Scotland. This allows us to focus on tackling the social determinants of suicide such as poverty, which also presents increased risk for alcohol addiction; and we are taking forward work to join up mental health and addiction support. For example, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has recently produced an exemplar joint working protocol for mental health and substance use services, which draws on best practice from across the country and internationally. We are also prioritising suicide prevention training for the workforce supporting people with addictions.
In developing the Creating Hope Together strategy, and the associated 3 year action plan, we reviewed all available evidence on suicide, including risk factors such as alcohol addiction. This was complemented by extensive engagement with communities and partners across Scotland. The delivery of our strategy continues to be evidence informed and guided by our suicide prevention Academic Advisory Group whose most recent research on the risk and protective factors associated with suicide includes analysis of alcohol related factors. Insights from such research, along with those from our suicide prevention lived experience panels, are informing the design and delivery of interventions which meet the needs of different groups and communities, including those with addiction issues.
The full suite of Academic Advisory Group reports on suicide prevention research can be accessed through the Suicide Behaviour Research Lab site.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scottish Water, as a public body, is meeting all of its statutory health, environmental and safety duties and requirements across all of its activities, and, if any shortfalls have been identified, what discussions ministers have had in regards to them and their rectification.
Answer
Scottish Water continues to deliver a high quality service throughout Scotland as demonstrated in its Annual Report for 2023-24, available here. Compliance with its statutory obligations is independently regulated by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR), the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Scottish Water is required to meet strict drinking water standards and its performance is reported on annually by the DWQR; available here. It must also ensure the water it discharges into the environment meets strict standards; SEPA’s water environment classification is available here and Scottish Water publishes the information it provides to SEPA here. WICS’ most recent report on its performance in the 2021-27 regulatory period is available here. Ministers meet with Scottish Water and its regulators routinely to discuss a variety of matters.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation was provided to passengers on the (a) Ardrossan to Brodick and (b) Largs to Cumbrae ferry route in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested on passenger compensation by route.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 30 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the GMB union withdrawing support for its proposed National Care Service due to its view that it would add bureaucracy to the delivery of care and would not deliver meaningful change.
Answer
We need to fundamentally transform the way social care is delivered in Scotland, and we have listened to thousands of people, including the social care workforce, who have told us this.
People who receive support through social care, their families and communities, and the workforce must be involved in planning and delivery at local level. But the system needs to work and people have told us, clearly, that it does not provide the high standard of care that people should rightfully expect. We are committed to establishing a National Care Service that delivers clear, consistent national care standards by the end of this Parliamentary term.
The Scottish Government will continue to engage with GMB and other Trade Unions as we co-design the National Care Service.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the long-term legacy benefits to be for greater Glasgow, particularly to grassroots sports, by hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, in light of reported concerns that the reduced timetable for its approval to go ahead has not outlined the obvious benefits to the city in the way that a normal award process would have.
Answer
The Commonwealth Games is a hugely important event for Scottish sport.
Hosting the 2026 Games will deliver economic and sporting opportunities for Glasgow and Scotland, and it is vital that the event leaves a positive legacy.
Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, has a world-renowned reputation for delivering outstanding major events, from Glasgow 2014 to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Details are still being finalised, but the legacy of Glasgow 2026 is expected to include vital infrastructure upgrades to sporting facilities. which will benefit individuals, communities and clubs in Glasgow, particularly at the grassroots level.
Inspirational performance by Scottish athletes on the world stage can also inspire the public to be more active, try a new sport, or join a local sports club, contributing to our vision of a more active Scotland.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the first statutory National Islands Plan, published in 2019, has been a success.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2024
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that issues with the gearbox of the MV Caledonian Isles have been identified, resulting in a further delay to its return to service on the Arran route.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it has considered making to governance arrangements at Ferguson Marine, in light of recent reported concerns around quality control at the yard.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its review of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, following the Auditor General for Scotland’s decision to issue a Section 22 report in relation to the audit of the organisation’s accounts.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024
