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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-14376

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to support early optimisation of glycaemic control in new onset type 1 diabetes.

As part of the Scottish Diabetes Group, a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) has been established to develop recommendations for a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to Type 1 diabetes education. For people newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, there is an urgent need for their diabetes specialist team to introduce self-management techniques in order to ensure early optimisation of glycaemic control. The SLWG has input from health professionals from every NHS Board in Scotland, and they are working in partnership with people living with Type 1 diabetes to design the pathways.

Question reference: S6W-14334

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) advisory group, what work the group has undertaken, what the outcomes have been of this work, and whether the group has made any recommendations to the Scottish Government in relation to NHS Dental Services.

The CDO Advisory Group have met on four occasions from October 2022 to December 2022. The minutes from the Advisory Group workshops, and copies of all papers provided to the group, are publicly available and can be viewed online at: Updated 17/01 – CDO Advisory Group – Meeting Papers | Scottish Dental .

A working draft of a revised Determination I of the Statement of Dental Remuneration (NHS care and treatment items), which has been developed by the Scottish Government following the advice of Advisory Group members, is also available online at: Reform of NHS Dental Services – Determination I Working Draft | Scottish Dental .

Question reference: S6W-14359

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what capacity to construct reverse vending machines it has identified in Scotland.

The Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led scheme, delivered by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd. The Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations were laid in 2020 and businesses have now had three years to prepare for the launch of the scheme.

There are many companies providing these services in Scotland, and an assessment is not considered to be necessary or appropriate for Government to carry out.

Question reference: S6W-14345

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines it has given to local authorities regarding the welcoming of Ukrainian refugees into their education services.

All children and young people living in Scotland are entitled to an education whatever their immigration status. We are proud of the welcome that Scottish local authorities have given to displaced people from Ukraine, welcoming more than 3,000 children and young people into Scottish schools over the last year.

The Scottish Government set out in a joint letter with COSLA in August 2022 the sources of advice and support available to local authorities to help displaced children and young people from Ukraine.

We also established the Ukraine Education Partners Group, jointly chaired by the Scottish Government and COSLA, with representation from ADES, Education Scotland, the Scottish Refugee Council and individual local authorities, to help co-ordinate work on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-14315

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it permits the shooting of wildfowl from locations immediately next to public footpaths.

Question reference: S6W-14065

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to co-ordinate a whole-government approach to tackling health inequalities, as referred to by the recent Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Tackling health inequalities in Scotland, and The Health Foundation report, The state of health and health inequalities in Scotland.

We recognise the need for a whole-government approach if we are to drive forward progress in reducing health inequalities.

The government is already involved in proactive, cross-portfolio discussions on what a ‘whole of government’ preventative approach might look like. Our Care and Wellbeing Portfolio is the principle strategic reform vehicle in Health and Social Care, which is being designed to promote a ‘health in all policies’ approach. The portfolio will shape and strengthen cross-government collaboration on key and critical issues that contribute to the goal of reducing health inequalities. As part of this, we have begun working with other programmes across the government including those relating to Child Poverty, the Promise, Economic Transformation, Climate Change and Net Zero.

Question reference: S6W-14306

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to proposals from Midlothian Council to remove free musical instrument lessons for some pupils.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the removal of fees associated with instrumental music tuition so income is not a barrier to children and young people taking up an instrument. Access to instrumental music tuition is for local authorities to determine depending on local circumstances and priorities.

Councils are autonomous and it is their responsibility to agree their annual budgets taking into account their statutory duties and national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-14377

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people with diabetes have been recorded as having attended structured education within six months of diagnosis in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-14317

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason shooting is permitted at, or adjacent to, sites that have statutory protection, such as National Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves.

The legislation underpinning Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) requires that NatureScot identifies any activities that are likely to damage the natural features for which the site is designated. These activities are listed for each site as ‘Operations Requiring Consent’ (ORC).

Before a private owner or occupier of a SSSI carries out any activity listed on the ORC list, permission must be sought from NatureScot and a consent issued. A SSSI Consent may be required by the landowner/occupier to undertake wildfowling on a specific SSSI if ORC 10 ‘The killing or removal of any wild mammal, bird, fish or invertebrate’ is in place for the SSSI in question, as this indicates that such activity has the potential to adversely affect nationally important bird populations. Further information on ORC can be found on the NatureScot website .

Most, if not all National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are also SSSIs, and so the provisions above for ORC would also apply. There is also provision in the underpinning legislation for NNRs for the creation of bye-laws to prevent damaging activity.

Where wildfowling takes place on Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) local authorities have powers to make bylaws to protect the interests of LNRs.

Question reference: S6T-01171

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that M&Co will close all of its 170 stores, resulting in almost 2,000 job losses.