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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

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-17884

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many gastroenterologists have completed their training and started work in NHS Scotland since 2019.

The following table includes data on the number of Gastroenterology trainees who have completed training and attained a CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) in each year since 2019. Trainees must obtain a CCT in order to practice as a consultant.

Training year	No. of CCTs
2018-19	5
2019-20	5
2020-21	6
2021-22	7
2022-23 (indicative)	5 (expected)

The Scottish Government does not hold definitive data which shows how many of these trainees went on to take up a consultant post within NHS Scotland. However, CCT output is the main source of appointments to consultant posts. It is therefore likely that all trainees who obtain a CCT will go on to practice as a consultant.

Question reference: S6W-17883

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many training places for gastroenterologists there have been in each year since 2019.

Question reference: S6W-17885

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many gastroenterologist vacancies there are.

Question reference: S6W-17749

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that road works are carried out in a manner that (a) is minimally intrusive to local communities and (b) does not have a significant environmental impact.

Transport Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers is responsible for managing, maintaining and improving Scotland’s trunk road and motorway network. The statutory responsibility for local roads improvement, maintenance and repair lies with local road authorities.

Trunk road works are developed and planned to minimise disruption to businesses, local communities and the travelling public. For major capital projects or maintenance works, road closures and operations at peak times are avoided where possible, with works often planned overnight. Other key matters that are balanced in scheduling works include the safety of the public and operatives, environmental issues, impacts on the surrounding transport networks and local stakeholder feedback.

Depending on the size, duration, traffic management proposals or expected disruption from a project or scheme, formal consultation is undertaken with affected groups and feedback incorporated where safe to do so. Advance notice of road works is conveyed through press releases, local/national radio, social media and road signage to enable road users to plan their journeys accordingly during times of disruption. Disruption is then monitored by Traffic Scotland and works contractors, with information being passed to the public via radio and website updates and on variable message signs. Traffic management arrangements are reviewed and amended where possible to mitigate significant delays.

This commitment to our customer-focussed approach is key to safely and effectively operating the trunk network during periods of essential works.

For environmental impacts, all projects and maintenance works on the trunk road network are robustly assessed for their potential effects. Proposals are screened by environmental specialists and a record of the assessment is prepared, which includes the mitigations that will be implemented in order to avoid or minimise any environmental impact. The assessment process ensures that legislative requirements are met and best practices are implemented to minimise any environmental effects.

All of our major trunk road projects are subject to detailed review and assessment work to ensure we keep impacts on the environment to the absolute minimum. Compliance with environmental commitments is monitored as construction work progresses.

Question reference: S6F-02135

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the First Minister for what reason only 4% of Scotland's sewage discharge points are monitored, compared with 91% in England.

Question reference: S6W-17599

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether TikTok has had any association with, or taken part in, any Scottish Government employability schemes.

Question reference: S6W-17339

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many sewage monitors were logged as faulty in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023 to date, and what the (i) average and (ii) longest length of time taken to replace or repair the monitors was.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water [and this data is not held by Scottish Government] I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

In respect of published guidelines on reporting, Scottish Water is not currently required to report the number of days for which overflow event monitoring is unavailable. Overflow events are calculated in January using available telemetry data downloaded throughout the year.

As part of Scottish Water’s annual reporting of overflow events, a lack of data available would be noted within the commentary along with any additional explanatory information.

As outlined within Scottish Water’s Improving Urban Waters Routemap, there is significant investment underway to increase data monitors on our overflows by 2024. As part of this work, data capture and availability is being reviewed to allow further enhancements. In due course, we will publish information on the number of days for which monitors are unavailable to support the reporting of 2023 overflow events in January 2024.

Question reference: S6W-17219

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of any impact of sewage spills on shellfish in Scotland.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for protecting aquatic wildlife, including shellfish, from sewage discharges to the water environment. SEPA currently classifies all Scotland’s coastal waterbodies at good or better condition for water quality.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is responsible for monitoring and assessing levels of biotoxins, faecal contamination (ie E.coli) and chemical contaminants in shellfish for human consumption and the data is available on its website ( https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/business-and-industry/industry-specific-advice/shellfish ). FSS works with the SEPA to identify any areas showing signs of deteriorating water quality.

In designated Shellfish Waters Protected Areas (SWPAs) SEPA aims to protect and improve water quality to ensure that shellfish grown for human consumption is safe. The most recent classification undertaken by SEPA indicates that 99% of SWPAs are in good or better condition.

Question reference: S6W-17478

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16028 by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023, how many times it has disclosed (a) ministerial and (b) official correspondence conducted by WhatsApp in each year since 2019.

The Scottish Government recognises that all recorded information relating to its business is subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) law, irrespective of its format or the platform on which it is held. This includes any information held in or originally generated in WhatsApp or similar messaging apps. This responsibility is discharged through the relevant business units who have the responsibility for capturing this information as set out in the Scottish Government Records Management Policy.

The Scottish Government has released such messaging exchanges in response to Freedom of Information requests. However, to ascertain the number of responses which have included such exchanges since 2019, would require officials to individually check every FOI response the Scottish Government has issued since the beginning of 2019. For that reason, this information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Question reference: S6W-17220

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many areas in Scotland have been granted Blue Flag status in each year since 2007.

The Blue Flag beach award is an international programme administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education. The main themes are; water quality; safety and information provision; environmental education; and land based facilities. Keep Scotland Beautiful coordinated the Blue Flag awards in Scotland until 2016. The following table shows how many beaches were granted Blue Flag status in Scotland from 2007 until the final award in 2015.

Year	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
No. of beaches	7	6	7	7	7	8	3	2	1

In 2016, Keep Scotland Beautiful launched Scotland’s Beach Awards programme which aims to develop and recognise our blue spaces. By applying for an award, beach managers must meet three main criteria; local environmental quality; access, facilities and safety; and community and heritage. This award programme enables the inclusion of Scotland’s more remote, quieter beaches which would not have previously been eligible due to the lack of facilities such as life guards. The number of beaches which have received an award since the programme’s introduction is as follows.

Year	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
No. of beaches	60	59	61	61	52	52	53

	Posts advertised	Posts filled	Fill rate
2022	14	14	100%
2021	2	2	100%
2020	3	3	100%
2019	8	8	100%