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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.

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Question reference: S6W-04152

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

The following table summarises how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Please note the LFASS claims received in 2021 are still being assessed for approval.

Year	Number of Appeals	Upheld (in favour of the applicant)	Awaiting Decision
2015	<3	<3	0
2016	0	0	0
2017	0	0	0
2018	<3	0	0
2019	0	0	0
2020	0	0	0

The following table summarises how many applications to the (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Please note the 2020 Round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer.

Regards the 2021 Round, no approval decisions have been made as yet.

Year	AECS Applications Reviewed	Review Upheld (in favour of the applicant)	Awaiting Decision
2015	66	13	0
2016	93	18	0
2017	54	14	0
2018	76	27	0
2019	63	17	0

Question reference: S6W-04150

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the data that shows the efficacy of the Hawick flood defences that are soon to be completed.

Question reference: S6W-03807

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the COVID-19 vaccine certification (COVID passport) scheme to other businesses such as hospitality settings and smaller indoor events.

We will keep the scope of our certification scheme under review to ensure it remains necessary, proportionate, and targeted in order to continue helping to drive vaccination rates up as high as possible; and providing an additional layer of protection over the winter months as we seek to achieve the difficult task of keeping COVID under control while keeping our economy fully open.

Our decisions are taken, and reviewed on the latest data and clinical evidence. Our review process includes consideration of the impact assessments, such as the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment .

Our certification scheme is limited to activities that are a higher risk and is an alternative to the potential closure of higher risk venues. We have made clear that certification will never be a requirement for access to public services.

Question reference: S6W-03827

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of patients per GP is in each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-04204

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure there are opportunities for all young people to access positive post-school destinations, in light of reported concerns by teachers and social workers that such opportunities do not exist for young people with the most difficult and complex needs.

The Scottish Government are undertaking a range of measures to support disabled young people to access positive post-school destinations, including introducing Scotland’s first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy in this Parliamentary Term. The Strategy is jointly led by the Minister for Equalities & Older People and the Minister for Children and Young People, to focus on supporting our disabled young people. As part of our commitment to improving transitions for young people, the Scottish Government has been working in partnership with ARC (Association for Real Change) Scotland to develop and deliver the Principles into Practice trial programme, a trial of ARC’s transitions framework.

In addition, we are implementing the independent Morgan Review recommendations for Additional Support for Learning, to ensure improvements are being made to effectively implement legislation and policy across Scotland. On 1 November we launched the Getting It Right For Every Child guidance refresh consultation, which includes the role of the Lead Professional. This refresh will include developing practice guidance on planning for children.

The Young Person’s Guarantee also has an important role in supporting young disabled people into education, training and employment, including supported employment. Since the Guarantee’s launch in November 2020 we have provided additional funding of up to £130 million, with the aim of supporting at least 24,000 new and enhanced opportunities. This includes over 11,000 employability and training opportunities for young people through Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs).

LEPs are prioritising support for disabled young people through employer recruitment incentives and specialist programmes, with some offering targeted support for those with complex additional support needs. Many partnerships are working with specialist organisations such as Project Search and Penumbra.

Through Developing the Young Workforce and Enable Works, Young Person’s Guarantee funding is also connecting over 1,000 disabled young people to fair work, education and opportunities designed to ensure a successful transition into adult life and work.

The Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland recognise that disabled people can face additional challenges in their career journeys, therefore enhanced contribution rates are available for Modern Apprentices up to the age of 29 who self-identify as disabled. SAAS administer the Disabled Students’ Allowance to support disabled students and those with additional learning needs and may have extra costs because of their impairment. Furthermore, many colleges and universities provide support to disabled young people while they are studying.

The Young Person’s Guarantee is part of a basket of interventions designed to support disabled young people that will contribute to the refresh of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People – Employment Action Plan , due for publication next Spring.

Question reference: S6W-04246

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent, directly or indirectly, via its agencies and intermediaries, on government public awareness campaigns on traditional or non-traditional media, broadcast or social media, in each of the last 10 financial years, broken down by (a) directorate, (b) cabinet portfolio and (c) campaign.

Detail on Scottish Government marketing spend between the years 2004-2005 and 2013-2014 can be found here: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170402085259/http:/www.gov.scot/About/People/Directorates/Communications/advertising-marketing/spend

Detail on Scottish Government marketing spend between the years 2013-2014 and 2020-2021 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/marketing-spend

This information is broken down by campaign and by channel, though not by directorate or cabinet portfolio.

We do not hold details of marketing spend by Scottish Government agencies. This would need to be sourced directly from the specific agencies themselves.

Question reference: S6W-03932

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported survivability bias in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey to ensure that experiences of patients with a less survivable cancer are captured, and whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care plans to make a statement on the issue.

Question reference: S6W-03891

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group has met since the start of 2021, and on what dates.

Question reference: S6W-03931

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to join the National Pancreatic Cancer Audit.

Question reference: S6W-04325

Current Status: Withdrawn