Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-10780

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of rising energy costs on people living with sleep apnoea who require the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and other electrical treatment devices.

Question reference: S6W-10775

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the draft legislation for the proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill will be developed through a model of co-production that will include people with learning disabilities and autism.

The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill to ensure that the rights of autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people are respected and protected.

Across our work, we involve organisations led by disabled people and charities representing the views of a wide range of people who come under the learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity umbrella.

Our intention is that the Bill will be fully co-designed with people with lived experience, and we ran 30 events with 18 different organisations during the scoping work which took place between May and July 2022.

We are also establishing a lived experience advisory panel to support the development of the Bill. Details about the recruitment process for the panel will be available shortly.

Question reference: S6W-10737

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action is being taken to provide support to (a) businesses and (b) households for the roll-out of clean heat technologies in rural communities, and to ensure that the expertise of trades people is developed and sustained.

The Scottish Government has committed to invest at least £1.8 billion in heat and energy efficiency over the course of this parliament. This funding is delivered via a range of support options, which are available to households and businesses across Scotland, including those in rural areas.

Business Energy Scotland (BES) provides support to Scottish SMEs for implementing energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures. The service is delivered by Energy Saving Trust (EST) on behalf of the Scottish Government and has at least one dedicated Business advisor in each of its regional call centres. BES provides a gateway for SMEs to access funding for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating through the SME loan scheme and access to the Green Network for Business.

For household support, we continue to invest in our Home Energy Scotland Loans with Cashback scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland and Area-Based Schemes and we recognise the need to tailor support to specific challenges in remote rural areas, where we know installation and labour costs are higher. Our flagship domestic energy advice service, Home Energy Scotland (HES), administered by EST on behalf of the Scottish Government, provides a single point of access for free, bespoke, impartial advice on energy efficiency, renewable heating, funding for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating systems and fuel poverty support in Scotland. HES advisors in five regional advice centres provide tailored energy advice that is location specific and takes account of the different energy use requirements of properties in different parts of Scotland, taking rurality into account.

It is vital that the supply chain is equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications to provide a high quality service to consumers and we are supporting workforce growth through a combination of reskilling, upskilling and youth employment. Skills support and training provision must be aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands. This year, we will publish a new Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan, which will outline specific actions and support focussed on strengthening the broad supply chains needed to deliver at the pace and scale of our transition.

Question reference: S6W-10804

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its reasoning for its reported decision not to reopen the Scottish Clans & Historical Figures Events Fund.

The Scottish Government works closely with the tourism sector to identify priorities to support the growth of the sector. These priorities, agreed with the sector, are articulated through Scotland Outlook 2030, Scotland’s national tourism strategy, and the Tourism Recovery Programme. The Scottish Clans & Historical Figures Events funding has not been identified as a strategic priority through this process.

Question reference: S6W-10800

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many individuals currently serve on the boards of two or more public bodies, and whether it will provide a list of those individuals and the positions that they hold.

The Scottish Government public appointments team in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland publishes information on those holding board member and Chair positions on the boards of regulated public bodies. This information is published on the Public Appointments website on the Scottish Government Website. [ Full list of public appointments by public body - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ].

Currently there are 57 individuals who serve on two or more Boards of public bodies.

An extract is attached below highlighting those individuals who currently serve on the boards of two or more public bodies.

Board Members Holding Two or More Public Appointments

Name	Board	Position
Ailsa Raeburn	Crown Estate Scotland	Member
Ailsa Raeburn	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Albert Donald	Grampian NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Albert Donald	Highland NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Amanda Bryan	Crown Estate Scotland	Chair
Amanda Bryan	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Andrew Thin	Crofting Commission	Commissioner
Andrew Thin	Scottish Land Commission	Chair
Angiolina Foster CBE	Public Health Scotland	Chair
Angiolina Foster CBE	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Architecture and Design Scotland	Chair
Ann Allen MBE	National Museums of Scotland	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Scottish Futures Trust	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Water Industry Commission for Scotland	Member
Anne-Marie Monaghan	Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board	Lay Member
Anne-Marie Monaghan	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Member
Bill Matthews	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Chair
Bill Matthews	Scottish Futures Trust	Member
Brian Baverstock	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Brian Baverstock	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Brian Moore	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Lay Member
Brian Moore	The State Hospitals Board for Scotland	Chair
Carole Wilkinson	Care Inspectorate	Member (in capacity as Chair of HIS)
Carole Wilkinson	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Chair
Caroline Stuart	Regional Colleges and Regional Boards (Dumfries and Galloway)	Chair
Caroline Stuart	Scottish Funding Council	Member
Caroline Stuart	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Christine Lester	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Christine Lester	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Lay Member
Douglas Moodie	Care Inspectorate	Chair
Douglas Moodie	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Member (in capacity as Chair of Care Inspectorate)
Douglas Moodie	Scottish Social Services Council	Member (in capacity as Chair of Care Inspectorate)
Dr Carol Evans	Food Standards Scotland	Member
Dr Carol Evans	Skills Development Scotland	Member
Dr Gaener Rodger	Highland NHS Board	Lay Member
Dr Gaenor Rodger	Cairngorms National Park Authority	Member
Dr Heather Reid	Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority	Member
Dr Heather Reid	NatureScot	Member
Dr Keith Nicholson	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Dr Keith Nicholson	VisitScotland	Member
Dr Kirsty Darwent	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Chair
Dr Kirsty Darwent	Scottish Agricultural Wages Board	Chair
Dr Mike Cantlay OBE	Scottish Funding Council	Chair
Dr Mike Cantlay OBE	NatureScot	Chair
Dr Paul Stollard	Historic Environment Scotland	Member
Dr Paul Stollard	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Dr Poonam Malik	Scottish Enterprise	Member
Dr Poonam Malik	Skills Development Scotland	Member
Dr Susan Walker	Food Standards Scotland	Member
Dr Susan Walker	Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland	Member
Dr William Maxwell	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Dr William Maxwell	Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator	Member
Elizabeth Humphreys	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Member
Elizabeth Humphreys	Public Health Scotland	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Elizabeth Humphreys	Scottish Ambulance Service	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
George Walker	Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator	Interim Chair
George Walker	Scottish Housing Regulator	Chair
Gillian Mawdsley	NHS Education for Scotland	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Gillian Mawdsley	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Legal Member
Gordon Johnston	Forth Valley NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Gordon Johnston	Mental Welfare Commission	Lay Member
Graham MacNeil Bell OBE	Community Justice Scotland	Member
Graham MacNeil Bell OBE	Highland NHS Board	Lay Member
Grant Macrae	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Grant Macrae	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Ian Russell CBE	National Museums of Scotland	Chair
Ian Russell CBE	Scottish Futures Trust	Chair
James Martin	Scottish Legal Complaints Commission	Chair
James Martin	Environmental Standards Scotland	Chair
Janie McCusker	Forth Valley NHS Board	Chair
Janie McCusker	Regional Colleges and Regional Boards (Glasgow)	Chair
Jean Ford	Ayrshire & Arran NHS Board	Lay Member
Jean Ford	NHS Education for Scotland	Lay Member
Jean Lindsay	Crown Estate Scotland	Member
Jean Lindsay	Revenue Scotland	Member
Katharina Kasper	Children’s Hearing Scotland	Chair
Katharina Kasper	Lothian NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Katharina Kasper	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Keith Redpath	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Keith Redpath	NHS National Services Scotland	Chair
Linda Bamford	Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland	Chair (Convener)
Linda Bamford	Poverty and Inequality Commission	Member
Linda Semple	Ayrshire & Arran NHS Board	Lay Member
Linda Semple	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Lay Member (Vice Chair)
Lorna Jack	Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd	Chair
Lorna Jack	Scottish Funding Council	Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	NHS 24	Lay Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	Scottish Housing Regulator	Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Martin Hill	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Chair
Martin Hill	Scottish Environment Protection Agency	Member
Michelle Miller	Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA)	Chair
Michelle Miller	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Naghat Ahmed	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Naghat Ahmed	Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland	Member
Peter Murray	Lothian NHS Board	Lay Member
Peter Murray	Scottish Social Services Council	Member
Prof Donald MacRae OBE	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Prof Donald MacRae OBE	Water Industry Commission for Scotland	Chair
Raymond McMenamin	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Legal Member
Raymond McMenamin	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Sandra Campbell	Care Inspectorate	Member (in capacity as Convener of SSSC)
Sandra Campbell	Scottish Social Services Council	Chair (Convener)
Sandy Riddell	Grampian NHS Board	Lay Member
Sandy Riddell	Mental Welfare Commission	Chair
Sharon O'Connor	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Sharon O'Connor	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Siobhan White	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Lay Member
Siobhan White	Scottish Housing Regulator	Member
Stephen McAllister	Forth Valley NHS Board	Lay Member
Stephen McAllister	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Lay Member
Stephen McAllister	Risk Management Authority	Member
Steve Barron	Public Health Scotland	Member
Steve Barron	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Stuart Currie	The State Hospitals Board for Scotland	Lay Member
Stuart Currie	Scottish Ambulance Service	Lay Member
Susan Douglas-Scott	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Chair
Susan Douglas-Scott	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Chair
Tim Ingram	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Tim Ingram	Western Isles NHS Board	Member
Tim McKay	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Tim McKay	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Willie Watt	National Galleries of Scotland	Member
Willie Watt	Scottish National Investment Bank	Chair

Question reference: S6W-10624

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider conducting an analysis of the effectiveness of the Chill cold water swimming courses currently being run in England and, to a more limited extent, Scotland, and their potential as a public health measure provided through NHS boards.

The provision of advice to health professionals on the efficacy of particular treatments, whether clinical or non-clinical, is the responsibility of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) who base their recommendations on Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines, produced from the views of experts and the latest research. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to undertake this type of analysis but we are supportive of the concept of a person-centred approach to care which includes non-clinical options. This aligns with the principles of Realistic Medicine .

Question reference: S6W-10629

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of probationer teachers are set to be allocated to each local authority in 2022-23 as part of the Teacher Induction Scheme.

The allocation process is managed by the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS). Probationer teachers are allocated to each of the 32 local authorities and to Jordanhill based on their preferences and need identified by the authorities.

As of 31 August 2022 the number and percentage of probationer teachers allocated to each local authority is indicated in the following table.

Aberdeen City Council	117	4.02%
Aberdeenshire Council	112	3.85%
Angus Council	29	1.00%
Argyll and Bute Council	17	0.58%
City of Edinburgh Council	208	7.15%
Clackmannanshire Council	25	0.86%
Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar	10	0.34%
Dumfries and Galloway Council	68	2.34%
Dundee City Council	93	3.19%
East Ayrshire Council	78	2.68%
East Dunbartonshire Council	113	3.88%
East Lothian Council	74	2.54%
East Renfrewshire Council	133	4.57%
Falkirk Council	123	4.23%
Fife Council	211	7.25%
Glasgow City Council	322	11.06%
Highland Council	67	2.30%
Inverclyde Council	48	1.65%
Midlothian Council	54	1.86%
Moray Council	79	2.71%
North Ayrshire Council	56	1.92%
North Lanarkshire Council	146	5.02%
Orkney Islands Council	7	0.24%
Perth and Kinross Council	45	1.55%
Renfrewshire Council	101	3.47%
Scottish Borders Council	49	1.68%
Shetland Islands Council	9	0.31%
South Ayrshire Council	81	2.78%
South Lanarkshire Council	181	6.22%
Stirling Council	73	2.51%
West Dunbartonshire Council	52	1.79%
West Lothian Council	130	4.47%
Grand Total *	2911	100%

* The total percentage is subject to roundings.

Question reference: S6W-10630

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to improve the energy efficiency of (a) business buildings, (b) local authority buildings (excluding housing), (c) social housing and (d) domestic housing in each year from 2020 to 2022.

Funding the Scottish Government has allocated to improve energy efficiency of buildings 2020 to 2022

	2020 - 2021	2021 - 2022	2022- 2023
(a) Business buildings	£8,000,000	£8,750,000	£8,000,000
(b) Local authority buildings	£1,590,000	£3,085,000	£4,500,000
(c) Social housing	£20,000,000	£30,000,000	£30,000,000
(d) Domestic housing	£103,000,000	£137,000,000	£161,000,000

* The Schemes and funding included in the figures: (a) Business Buildings - SME Loan Scheme and SME Cashback, (b) Local authority buildings - Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, (c) Social housing - Zero Emission Housing Fund and “Fabric First” Energy Efficiency Projects, (d)Domestic housing - Home Energy Scotland Loan, Home Energy Scotland Cashback, Area Based Schemes and Warmer Homes Scotland. The schemes and funding cover both heat and energy efficiency and can't be separated. The Domestic housing figures do not include Social Housing funding.

Domestic housing figures do not include Social Housing funding.

Question reference: S6W-10601

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding has continued for Action Against Stalking further to the initial investment of £55,000 in the 2019-20 victim/witness support budget.

We have continued to increase our funding to Action Against Stalking since 2019. In 2020-21 we provided almost £115,000 in funding and in 2021-22 we provided £100,000.

In March 2022 we announced funding of £495,000 over the period 2022-25 from the new Victim Centred Approach Fund to enable Action Against Stalking to deliver expert support to victims, and continue their work to improve the understanding of, and response to, stalking behaviours.

We are also providing up to £230,000 a year through the Scottish Legal Aid budget, and £384,000 in 2022-23 from the Justice portfolio, to the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre to offer free legal information and advice to women experiencing gender based violence, including stalking and harassment.

Question reference: S6W-10556

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its meeting with the Galloway Community Hospital Action Group and members of the Wigtownshire community regarding maternity service provision in the Wigtownshire locality, whether it will provide an update on its discussions with NHS Dumfries and Galloway regarding the establishment of a Community Midwifery Unit (CMU) at the Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer.

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