- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis on the cost per person to successfully transition an individual into employment through its No One Left Behind programme, and, if so, what that cost was.
Answer
No One Left Behind is the approach to devolved employability support between Scottish and Local Government, which empowers Local Employability Partnerships to lead the design and delivery of services in each Local Authority area. These services are influenced by local need, and guided by co-produced national products in areas that require consistency, such as the Employability Service Standards, the Customer Charter, and the Shared Measurement Framework. Local Authorities may supplement funding provided through No One Left Behind with resources from other sources.
The Scottish Government collects and publishes experimental statistics on outcomes linked to the No One Left Behind strategic approach. These include the cumulative number of participants supported into employment, and the number of individuals who have sustained employment for defined time periods. The most recent statistics for Scottish Government funded employability support are available at: Scotland's Devolved Employment Services statistics - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not currently publish estimates of costs per sustained employment outcome for No One Left Behind at either Scotland or Local Authority level.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29859 by Gillian Martin on 26 September 2024, and in light of the closure of its public consultation on the matter on 7 February 2025, when it plans to publish its revised policy statement on Ramsar sites.
Answer
The revised policy statement for the protection of natural features on Ramsar sites will be published on the Scottish Government web-site shortly.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a national fire strategy standard for buildings over 60 metres in height.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published a range of fire safety guidance applicable to a wide range of premises types, including existing high rise domestic and existing non-residential buildings. Given the complex nature of individual buildings of a height over 60m, specialist fire safety advice should be sought by the duty holder/s if required, including a robust fire risk assessment carried out by a competent assessor who will focus on the nature, use and specific circumstances pertaining to that particular building, as this will vary from one premises to another.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of NatureScot describing the two-year public engagement for the Forestry and Land Scotland Glen Affric beaver translocation proposal as "above and beyond" the requirements of the Scottish Beaver Strategy, for what reason it is now undertaking further engagement outside of the accepted local process, and how it will ensure that this additional engagement will represent the full range of views in the community.
Answer
The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to expanding the beaver population across Scotland for the benefit of biodiversity, in line with Scotland’s Beaver Strategy.
Whilst we welcome the Glen Affric beaver translocation proposal, it is clear, that there remain concerns about the proposal among the local community.
NatureScot will therefore undertake some additional engagement to ensure the concerns around impact of beavers on land and fisheries managers has been fully explored ahead of any licensing decision. This process is in line with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations in seeking to ensure there are acceptable mitigations in place.
We understand that there may be frustration around the timeframe for this licencing decision, but with proposals such as this we have to ensure the best chance of success for wildlife living alongside the people and communities most affected.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Glen Affric beaver translocation proposal having been live since 2022, and NatureScot being in receipt of the Forestry and Land Scotland licence application since January 2025, for what reason NatureScot reportedly decided to undertake further engagement on the proposal one day after the beaver kit dependency period started.
Answer
As set out in the answer to S6W-37296 on 13 May 2025, given the legitimate concerns from the local community a decision on the licence application was unable to be made ahead of the beaver kit dependency period.
This period offered an opportunity for further engagement to be undertaken to fully explore these concerns. NatureScot will publicise their decision on the licence once it has been determined.
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: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether any transgender prisoners with convictions for sex offences have been provided with gender-affirming items at public cost since 2021, and if so, how many.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
The SPS seeks to be as open and transparent as possible, while also upholding our statutory obligation to protect the personal information of those in our care.
This information requested is not information held by the Scottish Prison Service.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has held with local authorities since 2023 to progress the removal of non-residential care charges for vulnerable residents.
Answer
I meet regularly with local authorities and key stakeholders to discuss a range of social care issues. Conversations I have include ongoing work to remove non-residential social care charges for vulnerable residents. These discussions form part of broader efforts to improve fairness, equity, and access within the social care system in Scotland.
While the Scottish Government does not maintain a central tally of all individual meetings by topic, many of my meetings particularly those with local authorities routinely include agenda items relating to social care reform. This includes meetings held through formal channels such as the Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care, and engagements with COSLA and other local government representatives.
Details of my meetings, are published on the Scottish Government’s website through the Proactive release schedule. This ensures transparency and allows the public to see when and with whom I have met. These records include information relevant to meetings where the removal of non-residential care charges may have been discussed.
I remain committed to making progress in this area. Discussions with local authorities, including on the topic of non-residential charges, are ongoing as part of social care reform work.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any implications of the delaying of downgrading elements of the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme, particularly for (a) the Port of Grangemouth and (b) other key national infrastructure.
Answer
The next steps in the process for the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme are to be undertaken by the local authority.
Should Falkirk Council confirm the scheme in its current form and wish to access further Scottish Government funding, it will be necessary to demonstrate that the scheme, in whole or phased elements, is value for money, and assessed against other flood protection schemes across Scotland.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether any guidance has been issued to NHS boards and public bodies regarding the practice of seeking private hearings or restricting access to tribunals.
Answer
No such guidance has been issued to NHS boards or other public bodies.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34000 by Angela Constance on 7 February 2025, and in light of the recent judgment by the Supreme Court on the legal definition of "woman”, whether it plans to publish a bill to implement the recommendations of the Working Group on Misogyny in the current parliamentary session, and, if so, when.
Answer
As set out in answer to question S6W-37425, which was answered on 2 May 2025, due to the short amount of time left in this parliamentary session, there is insufficient time for a Misogyny Bill to be finalised and introduced. Therefore, the Scottish Government has decided not to proceed with this Bill in this parliamentary session.
However, in order to allow for the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ to be added to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 so that women and girls have the same protections as other groups protected by that Act, we will lay before the Scottish Parliament in September a proposed draft of an SSI under the powers within the Act. This will allow for views to be offered on the approach taken before a finalised SSI is then subsequently laid which will, if agreed, result in new protections for women and girls being introduced.
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