- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to regulate or control the sale and use of electric scooters.
Answer
The legal use of electric scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. The UK Government has stated its intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework for vehicles such as electric scooters, however the timescales for this are unclear.
Enabling the use of electric scooters through such a regulatory framework would also require amendments to devolved legislation, therefore the Scottish Government are monitoring developments in this area and will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on this matter.
It is not illegal to sell electric scooters in the UK, however responsible vendors will give customers accurate information about the legal restrictions on their use.
The Scottish Government currently has no formal position on the regulation of electric scooters, however this position is currently under review.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19674 by Shona Robison on 31 July 2023, which organisations it has contacted.
Answer
To assist in engagement with public sector organisations, we have convened a Cross-Sector Working Group. This group met for the first time on 14 August. Organisations represented at the meeting were: Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers; Built Environment Forum Scotland; Chartered Institute of Housing; City of Edinburgh Council; COSLA; Fife Council; Heads of Planning Scotland; Historic Environment Scotland; Local Authority Building Standards Scotland; NHS Scotland Assure; Police Scotland; Scottish Funding Council; Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; Scottish Association of University Directors of Estates and Scottish Property Federation. This is an open group and other sectors are likely to join as RAAC is discovered within their estate.
A note of the meeting will be published on a resource page for the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19683 by Shona Robison on 31 July 2023, when the cross sector Working Group will be set up; who will be part of it, and what work has been undertaken so far.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S6W-20630 on 29 August 2023. 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: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 28 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are working on a response from the Lord Advocate regarding the reported review on the legal feasibility of safe drug consumption rooms.
Answer
The Lord Advocate is not undertaking a review of the legal feasibility of safe drug consumption rooms.
The Lord Advocate received information in relation to a proposed safe drug consumption room which would operate in Glasgow. The Lord Advocate was asked, if a safe drug consumption room of the type described in that proposal were to be established, whether the Lord Advocate would consider a Statement of Prosecution Policy, which would confirm that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute individuals for the possession of illegal substances within the confines of the described facility.
Such a statement would not be a ban on prosecution or decriminalisation of an offence, rather it would be an articulation of the way that the public interest considerations relevant to a prosecutorial decision would fall to be applied in a particular context.
All prosecution policy requires careful consideration. In this case in particular, further information has been sought in relation to the practical operation and policing of the facility.
The Lord Advocate’s consideration of the request is supported by officials within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure robust primary care data collection and publishing.
Answer
Public Health Scotland currently publish a range of statistics relating to Primary Care services in Scotland: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/?ic=topics-primary-care&q=&fq=topics%3APrimary+care%23&sort=pdesc .
We continue to work with all partners to develop a clear and evidence-based approach to ensure robust data is available. A Primary Care Data and Intelligence Programme Board has been established to inform this development work going forward.
A substantial amount of progress has already been made, notably with the introduction of a new publication of General Practice activity data. This collaborative effort between ourselves, the profession, National Services Scotland and Public Health Scotland, was a significant step in our journey to improving access to General Practice data.
This is in addition to the continued investment in the national GP IT re-provisioning programme, which allows Health Boards the ability to offer new and advanced, modernised systems for General Practice in Scotland. This will enhance access to GP data, and enable quality data to be stored and reused many times for multiple purposes, to allow us to better understand and improve the provision of care.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the budget has been for NHS estate maintenance in each of the last three years, and what plans it has to increase this funding.
Answer
The following table presents the budget for NHS estate maintenance in each of the last three financial years. It is the intention of the Scottish Government to double the NHS estate maintenance funding over the Capital Spending Review period of 2021-2026.
| 2020.21 | 2021.22 | 2022.23 |
Health Board | £m | £m | £m |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.7 |
NHS Borders | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 1.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
NHS Fife | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.8 |
NHS Forth Valley | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.4 |
NHS Grampian | 12.8 | 12.8 | 13.4 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 37.4 | 37.4 | 39.3 |
NHS Highland | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.9 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 12.4 | 12.4 | 13.0 |
NHS Lothian | 23.5 | 23.5 | 24.7 |
NHS Orkney | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
NHS Shetland | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
NHS Tayside | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.9 |
NHS Western Isles | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
NHS National Services Scotland | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
Scottish Ambulance Service | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
NHS 24 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Golden Jubilee Foundation | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
The State Hospital | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Public Health Scotland | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Healthcare Improvement Scotland | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Total | 140.1 | 142.1 | 148.8 |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is in place for the (a) management and (b) removal of any asbestos across the NHS estate in 2023-24.
Answer
The Scottish Government is providing the funding per the following table for the financial year 2023-24. Health boards can use this funding to manage and remove asbestos as and when it is appropriate to do so.
| 2023.24 |
Health Board | £m |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 8.7 |
NHS Borders | 2.5 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 3.6 |
NHS Fife | 7.8 |
NHS Forth Valley | 6.4 |
NHS Grampian | 13.4 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 39.3 |
NHS Highland | 6.9 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 13.0 |
NHS Lothian | 24.7 |
NHS Orkney | 1.0 |
NHS Shetland | 1.0 |
NHS Tayside | 9.9 |
NHS Western Isles | 1.3 |
NHS National Services Scotland | 2.9 |
Scottish Ambulance Service | 1.8 |
NHS 24 | 0.3 |
Golden Jubilee Foundation | 2.7 |
The State Hospital | 0.3 |
Public Health Scotland | 1.1 |
Healthcare Improvement Scotland | 0.1 |
Total | 148.8 |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place for the removal of any asbestos, where it is damaged or in a poor condition, across the NHS estate, and what the timeframe is for this work.
Answer
We recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed or in poor condition. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance states that it is safe for asbestos to remain in place if it is in good condition, well-protected and unlikely to be disturbed. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Elena Whitham on 21 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to receive a response from the Lord Advocate regarding the reported review on the legal feasibility of safe drug consumption rooms, and whether it will propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement to update the Parliament on the progress being made, and, if so, when it will propose this for.
Answer
The decision on whether or not to issue a statement of prosecution policy in relation to the prosecution of users of any proposed safer drug consumption facility is for the Lord Advocate to consider in her position as independent head of the systems of prosecution and investigation of deaths. This decision is independent of Scottish Government so the timing of this response is unknown.
Once the Lord Advocate reaches a decision the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy will be able to respond appropriately, likely including a ministerial statement.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Education for Scotland has reportedly been asked to support practitioners to complete annual health checks; whether it will provide the best practice information and guidelines for practitioners, including on the specific health needs of people with Down’s syndrome, and whether there will be consideration of distinct health checks, such as separate documentation, for people with Down’s syndrome or learning disabilities in order to further ensure consistency and efficacy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19616 on 6 July 2023. 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