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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-18353

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-18167

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the plans for Scottish Water to install monitors at 1,000 combined sewer overflows, and how many have been installed to date.

As referred to in the answers to S6F-02135 on 18 May 2023 and S6W-15158 on 13 March 2023, Scottish Water has now identified the priority locations for 1,000 spill monitors. Installation is programmed between summer 2023 and the end of 2024.

The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: Meeting of the Parliament: 18/05/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

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

Question reference: S6W-18194

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14348 by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023, whether it will provide updated data for 2022-23.

The following table provides a breakdown of homes delivered in rural (mainland) and island areas through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since 2016-17.

RIHF	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Total Homes
Rural	2	21	1	35	16	41	36	152
Island	-	4	-	5	4	12	8	33
Total Homes	2	25	1	40	20	53	44	185
This table includes provisional programme management information for 2022-23 and could be subject to change. It also corrects six units in Highland previously noted as rural instead of island.

Question reference: S6W-18177

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17557 by Maree Todd on 15 May 2023, when its programme of stakeholder engagement (a) began and (b) ended, and what stakeholders it met with as part of that engagement.

The Scottish Government launched a public consultation on 29 June 2022, seeking views on what a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Scotland should look like. The consultation included a section on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce.

As part of our stakeholder engagement programme, we held five virtual engagement events over August and September 2022. These events were open to anyone with an interest in helping to shape the new Strategy and Workforce Action Plan. Participants included those with lived experience as well as representatives from organisations including the NHS, local government, mental health charities and equality advocacy groups.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Advisory Group, which first met on 25 July 2022 and includes a wide range of key stakeholders, have been actively involved in the development of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan. This includes representatives from NHS boards, public bodies, local government, social work, third sector organisations, trade unions and professional bodies such as the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists and Nursing.

Engagement with key stakeholders, including with the Advisory Group, is ongoing over the summer to support the finalising of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-18181

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring mechanisms are in place to evaluate the impact of the £145.5 million allocated to local authorities to protect teacher numbers, and whether it plans to publish any such evaluation.

We will use the September 2023 annual census levels, which will be published in the Official Statistics Summary School Statistics in December 2023 and March 2024, to confirm whether numbers have been maintained. It is important that all stakeholders have confidence in the statistics being used. Official Statistics on teacher numbers, delivered via the annual teacher census, have delivered robust data for many years and they will continue to be the definitive measure.

We have introduced an additional monitoring period in May 2023. At this point, local authorities will be asked to provide an aggregate count of their total teacher and pupil support staff numbers, together with any commentary and supporting evidence.

Question reference: S6W-18206

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13830 by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when it expects to publish updated guidance on Good Practice Principles for community benefits from offshore renewable energy developments, and whether it will provide details of the (a) dates of and (b) attendance at the "series of stakeholder engagement sessions to raise awareness of the work and gather initial input".

Question reference: S6W-18203

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its innovation strategy.

The Scottish Government has been engaging with stakeholders across the country from industry, academia and the public sector to develop a National Innovation Strategy for Scotland, which will set out a roadmap to transform Scotland's economy over the next decade by placing innovation at the heart of our economic growth and societal prosperity and wellbeing. The Scottish Government intends to publish its National Innovation Strategy this month.

Question reference: S6W-18137

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Minister for Higher and Further Education to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 2 May 2023, on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills identified the now withdrawn £26 million of funding for colleges as a "necessary saving".

Question reference: S6W-18151

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Waste Route Map to 2025 will be published, in light of its consultation stating that the full route map would be published in early 2023.

The Circular Economy & Waste Route Map sets out how we intend to deliver our system-wide, comprehensive vision for Scotland's Circular Economy by outlining tangible actions the Scottish Government and others must take to accelerate progress.

The responses to the Route Map consultation have been published, and we are considering this feedback carefully as part of the development of the Route Map, alongside ongoing assessment of impacts. Analysis of the consultation findings will be published in due course.

We intend to consult on a draft Route Map, before bringing forward a final Waste Route Map later this year.

Question reference: S6W-18155

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has conducted and (b) plans to conduct an analysis of how successful the ban on single-use plastics has been since it was introduced in 2022.

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 came into force in June 2022 as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to move to a more circular economy and tackle the environmental impact of the most problematic single-use plastic products.

Over seven hundred million of these products were estimated to be used in Scotland every year before the Regulations came into force, including three hundred million single-use plastic straws and over two hundred and fifty million pieces of single-use plastic cutlery.

Now that the regulations have been in place for almost a year, we will evaluate progress and this will inform our approach to continuing to support businesses to comply with requirements.