- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to ban gill net fishing from all or some Scottish waters, and what consideration it is giving to banning the practice of gill net fishing.
Answer
As per answer to S6W-09155 on 23 June 2022, gill netting is a legitimate form of fishing activity permitted within Scottish waters providing the relevant rules, regulations and technical standards are complied with.
We know that a number of gillnet vessels operate in Scottish waters and we understand that additional spatial pressure can occur when vessels using different types of gear are operating in close proximity to one another. The Future Catching Policy consultation, which closed for responses on 7 June, sought views on possible solutions to this and we welcome the input from all stakeholders to help shape next steps.
The Future Catching Policy is also intended to consider additional technical and spatial measures for all types of fishing vessels in order to reduce unwanted catches of fish and bycatch of sensitive marine species such as cetaceans. We are currently analysing the results from the consultation and considering policy options.
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: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many social care staff have (a) joined and (b) left the sector in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally.
Mr Rowley may wish to approach the Scottish Social Services Council, who are the regulator for the social service workforce in Scotland, and may be able to supply the relevant data in relation to his questions.
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial car journeys were made on each day in May and June 2021.
Answer
The number of daily Ministerial journeys for May and June 2021 are provided in the following table.
Date | Total number of journeys |
10-05-2021 | 2 |
12-05-2021 | 2 |
13-05-2021 | 8 |
14-05-2021 | 10 |
18-05-2021 | 12 |
19-05-2021 | 19 |
20-05-2021 | 14 |
21-05-2021 | 12 |
24-05-2021 | 1 |
25-05-2021 | 13 |
26-05-2021 | 16 |
27-05-2021 | 13 |
30-05-2021 | 2 |
31-05-2021 | 3 |
01-06-2021 | 19 |
02-06-2021 | 15 |
03-06-2021 | 18 |
04-06-2021 | 2 |
07-06-2021 | 1 |
08-06-2021 | 25 |
09-06-2021 | 13 |
10-06-2021 | 14 |
11-06-2021 | 1 |
13-06-2021 | 2 |
14-06-2021 | 7 |
15-06-2021 | 15 |
16-06-2021 | 13 |
17-06-2021 | 21 |
20-06-2021 | 1 |
21-06-2021 | 5 |
22-06-2021 | 29 |
23-06-2021 | 18 |
24-06-2021 | 17 |
25-06-2021 | 2 |
26-06-2021 | 1 |
28-06-2021 | 5 |
29-06-2021 | 8 |
30-06-2021 | 5 |
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the potential impact on small businesses of banning the destruction of durable goods.
Answer
Details of the proposal to introduce measures to ban the destruction of unsold goods and associated impact assessments, including a business and regulatory impact assessment, are included in Delivering Scotland's circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill - Scottish Government - Citizen Space .
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in (a) the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency and (b) other rural areas.
Answer
Scotland has the most comprehensive public charging network in the UK outside of London, with close to 3,000 public charge points. The Scottish Government has invested over £50 million to develop the ChargePlace Scotland network, with over a third of charge points installed in rural areas. Dumfries and Galloway Council has received £1.65 million to develop public electric vehicle charging.
In January we launched our vision for the future of Scotland’s electric vehicle charging network, and announced a new fund to enable £60 million of public and private investment in this network. We have also provided £2 million to local authorities to develop their charging strategies and expansion plans, with Dumfries and Galloway Council receiving £60,000.
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses data from 2020 to apportion Pupil Equity Funding allocations, and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what plans it has to use more up-to-date figures.
Answer
Data from the 2020 Healthy Living Survey was one of the components used to determine 2022-23 Pupil Equity Fund allocations.
Due to COVID-19 disruption, the full Healthy Living Survey could not take place in 2021. The previous year’s data was therefore used to prepare funding allocations which aligned with pre-existing PEF allocations to ensure there was no major, disruptive fluctuation between years.
We have listened to headteachers and provided certainty to support long term planning to build on the excellent work we know headteachers are doing by setting PEF allocations for the next four years. In response to fluctuating demand brought on by the pandemic, we have increased allocations to £1,225 from £1,200.
Officials continue to review possible alternatives to Free School Meal data, and a decision on which datasets will be used will be made at the end of that four-year cycle.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason, following registration not to be a donor on the Organ Donation Scotland website, confirmation correspondence indicates that the individual should let family and next of kin know of their decision not to donate.
Answer
Family and friends will always be involved in discussions about organ or tissue donation. If a person is in hospital and dies in circumstances where donation may be possible, a Specialist Nurse would check if the person has registered a decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). The Specialist Nurse would then discuss any registered decision, or lack of one, with family and friends in order to ascertain the potential donor’s most recent views, which may have changed since the recording of any decision.
These discussions help to ensure that people don’t become donors if that would be against their wishes. This is why, as well as recording any decision on the ODR, individuals are encouraged to let family and friends know about their decision and latest views.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08705 by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022, what the timetable is for its plans to work with the UK Government to explore areas of potential shared interest and learning, particularly in terms of research into ME/CFS, and how it is engaging with the UK Government to improve care and support for people with ME.
Answer
The Scottish Government is a member of the UK Government ME/CFS Delivery Plan Task and Finish Group, which is scheduled to convene in June and to meet monthly thereafter. Officials are maintaining close and regular contact with the UK Department of Health and Social Care regarding this work, with the UK Government planning to publish its draft Delivery Plan later this year.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what independent accountability there is for bus service delivery in Scotland.
Answer
Bus service provision in Scotland operates in an open de-regulated market, as established by the Transport Act 1985. Individual bus operators use their own commercial judgement to decide on service routes, fare structure and frequency. Additionally local transport authorities can provide subsidy for services that are not provided on a commercial basis.
Under the Transport Act 1985 local bus services must be registered with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. The registration of services is devolved and subject to the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2001. The regulatory regime is designed to ensure that bus service operators are of good repute and that services are introduced, varied or cancelled in an orderly fashion and operated safely and reliably as registered. As part of the registration process, operators are required to notify local transport authorities in advance of registering, cancelling or varying a service.
If the Traffic Commissioner considers that an operator is failing to run a service in line with their registration she has the power to take action against them. This could include issuing a fine, imposing conditions on their PSV license, or rejecting a future service application from the same operator.
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses data from 2014 to estimate the number of pupils claiming free school meals in P1 to P3, and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what plans it has to use more up-to-date figures.
Answer
Data from the 2014 Healthy Living Survey was one of the components used to determine 2022-23 Pupil Equity Fund allocations for Primary 1 to 3 pupils.
In 2015 the Scottish Government introduced free school meals for all Primary 1 to 3 pupils. The 2014 Healthy Living Survey therefore represents the last dataset fully capturing how many pupils were registered for FSM on income-based criteria before universal entitlement.
We have listened to headteachers and provided certainty to support long term planning to build on the excellent work we know headteachers are doing by setting PEF allocations for the next four years. In response to fluctuating demand brought on by the pandemic, we have increased allocations to £1225 from £1200.
Officials continue to review possible alternatives to Free School Meal data, and a decision on which datasets will be used will be made at the end of that four-year cycle.