- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the financial value of the dark web in Scotland, and what recent discussions it has had with Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency and the UK Government on this issue.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the financial value of the dark web in Scotland. Regulation of the Internet is reserved to the UK Government.
The Scottish Government maintains a close working relationship with Police Scotland, The National Crime Agency and other UK Government Departments and Agencies with respect to cyber security, cyber enabled and cyber dependent crime to ensure an effective response to the threat from cyber criminals to Scottish people and businesses.
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the public was reportedly not made aware of a rise in radioactive particles found between February and March 2022 on the Dounreay foreshore until eight months later, when reports appeared in the press in November 2022.
Answer
The monitoring of the Dounreay foreshore area is undertaken by Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) which is a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and is agreed and regulated by SEPA.
All radioactive particle finds are removed, analysed and reported on the DSRL website. The finds in February and March 2022 were reported on the DSRL website in March and April 2022. The Dounreay Stakeholder Group was also provided with information regarding the particle finds in a written update from SEPA at one of its subgroup meetings in April 2022.
The NDA and SEPA remain content that the monitoring and retrieval programme in place continues to provide appropriate protection for the public.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) guns, (b) knives, (c) other offensive weapons and (d) prohibited drugs have been seized/intercepted in mail and courier delivery services by Police Scotland, including items imported from overseas, in each year since 2016.
Answer
The Scottish Government produces a range of Official Statistics that include information on crimes involving firearms, crimes of possessing an offensive weapon and drug seizures, However, we do not hold any information on the number of firearms, weapons or prohibited drugs that were specifically seized within mail and courier delivery services.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13038 by Kevin Stewart on 20 December 2022, who it anticipates will be eligible to apply for the funding for the construction of Changing Places toilets.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Changing Places Toilets investment will be delivered in phases over the course of this parliamentary term. The Scottish Government is progressing the first phase of work, in order to design an investment programme that ensures that the Changing Places Toilets which are built are fit for purpose and are installed in appropriate locations to meet the needs of those that will use them. We will work with stakeholders to develop eligibility criteria for the fund.
Further details will be available soon.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers have (i) commenced and (ii) successfully completed English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications ranging from SCQF Level 2 to Level 6 since 2017.
Answer
ESOL qualifications are delivered in a number of settings, including schools, colleges and community settings.
The Scottish Government approach to monitoring the uptake of ESOL qualifications across education providers is not sub-categorised into the individuals’ legal status such as refugees and asylum seekers. There are a variety of approaches to delivering ESOL as learning is shaped around learners’ specific requirements. This flexibility enables providers to tailor their provision to best suit learners’ personal circumstances.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) publish data on numbers of people entering SQA ESOL qualifications at schools, colleges and other approved SQA centres including training providers and voluntary sector organisations. The Scottish Funding Council collect data for colleges on enrolments to ESOL qualifications.
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data on the number of people entering and passing SQA ESOL qualifications can be found at the following link: Statistics and information - SQA As I have noted, this data is not sub-categorised into individuals’ legal status.
The Scottish Funding Council publish college student data each year and this information can be found at the following link: College Performance Indicators (sfc.ac.uk) . Further detail and information can be made available from The Scottish Funding Council on request.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to third sector organisations that provide sexual health and blood borne virus services in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) organisation and (b) service provided.
Answer
Due to the breadth of this request, and changes made over the requested time period to the way Scottish Government records financial information, it has not been possible to provide the entirety of the information sought. The amounts listed relate to funding provided directly by the unit responsible for sexual health and blood born viruses (SHBBV) work to third sector organisations. It does not include other funding from other areas of Scottish Government to third sector organisations that carry out SHBBV work.
Between 2018-19 and 2020-21, over £800k of funding was provided to third sector organisations for work related to sexual health and blood borne viruses annually.
Information has been provided for 2021-22 until the date of this request. Further payments are anticipated during the course of this financial year.
| | | | |
Organisation | Project | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
CKUK (Common Knowledge UK) | CK Sex Talk | £43,110 | £21,555 |
Recovery Enterprises Scotland | In-reach Support for Prisoners | £10,000 | |
Sacro | Another Way | £22,956 | £11,478 |
HIV Scotland | Core Funding | £91,061.50 | £45,911 |
HIV Scotland | HIV Self Test Scotland (kits) | £120,000 | £120,000 |
HIV Scotland | SHARE Project | £59,011 | |
Scottish Drugs Forum | Hepatitis Scotland | £172,277 | £86,138 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | Emergency Response | £65,619 | £49,214.25 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | General expenditure | | £81,451 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | People Who Inject Drugs | £61,266 | £30,633 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | Sexual Health in Specific Populations changed to Specific and Underserved Populations | £66,040 | £33,020 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | Vulnerable Young People | £61,266 | £30,633 |
Scottish Drugs Forum | HCV Treatment Uptake and Awareness Project | £15,281 | |
Waverley Care | Research, Engagement and Communication | £103,000 | £51,500 |
Waverley Care | Sexual Health Improvement | £79,500 | £39,750 |
Total | | £970,387.50 | £601,283.25 |
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the National Care Service and adult social care budget allocation in its 2023-24 Budget will be allocated to (a) the National Care Service and (b) adult social care.
Answer
The published 2023-24 Stage 1 budget showed at level 4, a total investment of over £1.2 billion in Social Care support and NCS delivery. Within the £1.2 billion, there is £60 million notionally earmarked for investment in Fair Work and specific NCS programme costs. While the work is taking place on revising the Financial Memorandum, this will remain flexible to meet priorities, as will other areas. Please see response to S6W-13643 on 19 January 2023 for a breakdown of the
£1.2 billion in relation to social care support.
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: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12372 by Maree Todd on 8 December 2022, what percentage of (a) childminders, (b) playgroups, (c) early learning centres and (d) nurseries are currently signed up to the Daily Mile scheme, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not held by The Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it monitors the uptake of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications across education providers for (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13597 on 19 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 .
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports on 4 January 2022 that, when excluding those aged between 16 and 24 in full-time education, 148,000 people living in Scotland have never been in employment.
Answer
Many people who report that they have never worked are suffering from long-term sickness or disability, or are looking after family. Just because someone does not have a job does not mean they are not making a valuable contribution to our economy and society.
The Scottish Government’s devolved employment support service, Fair Start Scotland, helps people with disabilities, long term health conditions and other barriers to progress into sustainable employment.
Through our Fair Work policy we are supporting the development of a labour market that is open, inclusive and offers good quality and rewarding jobs for everyone.
We are committed to developing life-long skills training opportunities, which support people to enter the workforce and enjoy valuable and rewarding careers.