- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13722 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 January 2023, how much ScotRail is planning to spend on its aim "to roll out a programme of menopause awareness training across the organisation", and how much it has spent to date on menopause-related initiatives.
Answer
ScotRail Trains Ltd. is currently developing a training plan with associated costings to roll out menopause awareness across the organisation. It is anticipated that this will include, among other things, “Train the Trainer” sessions with Henpicked, which will enable the delivery of awareness sessions across the organisation. Henpicked works with organisations to help develop the right menopause in the workplace training, education, policies and practices to make an organisation menopause friendly.
Scottish Rail Holdings has advised that ScotRail Trains Ltd.’s expenditure on menopause-related initiatives to date are as follows:-
- 2022 and 2023 - Annual Membership fee to Henpicked to become a Menopause Friendly Accredited organisation - £1500 plus VAT each year
- 2022 and 2023 - speakers fees for events for World Menopause Day/World Menopause Month – Total £1000
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13230 by Lorna Slater on 20 December 2022, whether it will provide further detail of the scale of the financial impact on those local authorities not expected to receive a net financial benefit from the introduction of Deposit Return Scheme, and whether it proposes to provide funding to local authorities to offset any losses.
Answer
Calculations are based on commercially sensitive data provided in confidence to Zero Waste Scotland by local authorities. Therefore, we will not provide any additional information.
Zero Waste Scotland has engaged with three local authorities which are modelled to not make a saving and offered modelling support to identify changes that could mitigate the potential net cost. The Recycling Improvement Fund, a £70 million fund designed to support local authorities to make impactful change to their recycling services, is available for any local authority to apply to.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13542 by Humza Yousaf on 20 January 2023, whether the e-learning module for non-executive board members on the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act is mandatory.
Answer
The eLearning module, “Equality and the Role of Board Members in Meeting the Public Sector Duty”, is available through NHS Education for Scotland. While this is not a mandatory module, it is recommended to all Board Members. This was promoted to NHS Board Chairs in July 2022 and all NHS Board members and staff can access the module.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent to date on a Biodiversity Investment Plan, as set out in the new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and how many civil servants have worked on delivering this.
Answer
Following the recent publication of the draft biodiversity strategy, a delivery plan is now being developed and this will include the development of an investment plan. The delivery plan is being led jointly by Scottish Government and NatureScot officials, drawing on engagement from key policy areas and across a wider network which includes significant stakeholder engagement. No expenditure has therefore been directly devoted to the development of the Biodiversity Investment Plan yet.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any external organisations or individuals have provided paid consultancy services to date in relation to the development of a Biodiversity Investment Plan, as set out in the new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and, if so, which external organisations or individuals have done so.
Answer
No organisations or individuals have provided paid consultancy services in relation to the development of a Biodiversity Investment Plan.
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the Network Support Grant scheme for the bus network beyond March 2023 in (a) general and (b) order to ensure there is sufficient support for the number 52 bus route in Barrhead.
Answer
There are currently no plans for the Network Support Grant to end in March 2023. The Network Support Grant replaced both BSOG and emergency COVID support grants from 1 April 2022.
The Network Support Grant Plus was always a temporary fund, designed to further support operators as we emerged from the pandemic, due to the pressure still experienced, and to aid recovery. The Network Support Grant Plus was extended in both July and October, coming to an end in March brings us into line with the end of the funding in England and Wales.
It is important that the support we give transport operators continues to evolve to make sure it remains fit for purpose and is sustainable long term. Support is also provided to bus operators through our concessionary travel schemes which allows free bus travel to all children and young people under 22 as well as disabled people and everyone over 60. We also provide support to operators to decarbonise their bus fleet, assisting them with the purchase of zero emission buses and charging infrastructure through our Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme and the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.
The intent of the Network Support Grant is to support the bus network and it is up to operators to use their own commercial judgement and decide which individual routes they run in the open de-regulated market, as established by the Transport Act 1985. Scottish Ministers have no powers to intervene.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many potholes have been repaired in each of the last five years.
Answer
Transport Scotland, through its Trunk Road Operating Companies and Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Repair of potholes on all other roads is the responsibility of the local authorities.
The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all potholes that present, or could present, an immediate hazard to trunk road users. These are defined as Category 1 defects within the term maintenance contract, which also sets out strict timescales for their repair. Following identification of Category 1 pothole defects, the Operating Companies are required to make the defect safe by 6am the following morning, preferably by completing a permanent repair. Where this is not possible then a temporary repair is required within the same timescale with permanent repairs required 28 days. The following table shows the number of Category 1 potholes identified and repaired in each of the last five whole years.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13349 by Mairi McAllan on 10 January 2023, whether it is the case that it can now confirm how much funding will be allocated to the Climate Justice Fund in financial year 2023-24, and, if it is not the case, whether it will provide a draft figure, prior to final budget allocations being made, of how it expects to allocate for this purpose.
Answer
I can confirm that budget for the Climate Justice Fund is currently expected to be £6m for Financial Year 2023-24 subject to parliamentary approval of the budget.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many potholes there are on the road network.
Answer
Transport Scotland, through its Trunk Road Operating Companies and Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Repair of potholes on all other roads is the responsibility of the local authorities.
The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all potholes that present, or could present, an immediate hazard to trunk road users. These are defined as Category 1 defects within the term maintenance contract, which also sets out strict timescales for their repair. Following identification of Category 1 pothole defects, the Operating Companies are required to make the defect safe by 6am the following morning, preferably by completing a permanent repair. Where this is not possible then a temporary repair is required within the same timescale with permanent repairs required 28 days. The number of Category 1 potholes identified and awaiting repair changes daily in response to ongoing inspections and repair work.
The following table shows the number of Category 1 potholes identified and repaired in each of the last five whole years.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, how much it has spent on developing a fully interactive "Front Door" for health and care services.
Answer
Spend on the digital front door will come from the Digital Health and Care budget, which is £99.6m for 2022-23. Further details can be found in the answer to question S6W-13979 on 30 January 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
