- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of childcare settings that have signed up to the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme.
Answer
We continue to promote registration so more children can benefit from milk and a healthy snack. We are working in close partnership with COSLA and Local Authorities via an Implementation Group. We will shortly be expanding the remit and membership of this Group to include wider stakeholders and to ensure the scheme is meeting the needs of children and settings as we look ahead to scheme Year 2 and beyond.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to model future recycling performance.
Answer
Detailed modelling to provide projections of future recycling performance is being undertaken as part of our work to develop a route map towards our 2025 recycling and waste targets, as set out in our update to the Climate Change Plan.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it put in place to prevent money allocated through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) from being spent outside of Scotland and the UK.
Answer
Under the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and EU the Scottish Government is unable to set subsidy rules that restrict support solely to domestic manufacturers. Scotland is bound by TCA and World Trade Organisation rules as is the rest of the UK.
- Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that (a) Forth Ports and (b) other port operators have appropriate measures in place, such as demarcation areas or no activity areas, to protect the public using the water for recreation, while ensuring the requirements of the access code are maintained.
Answer
Ports in Scotland are operated as independent statutory bodies and governed by their own local legislation. This is subject to public consultation and Ministerial approval. The Scottish Government has no remit in the day-to-day operation of ports, which is the responsibility of the relevant port authority.
The Port Marine Safety Code sets out a national standard for port marine safety in ports throughout the UK. The Code aims to enhance safety for everyone who uses or works in the UK port marine environment. It is endorsed by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and representatives from across the maritime sector. Whilst the Code is not mandatory, there is an expectation that all harbour authorities will comply with it. The Code is intended to be flexible enough that any size or type of harbour or marine facility will be able to apply its principles in a way that is appropriate and proportionate to local requirements.
Port marine safety is governed not only by marine legislation, such as the Pilotage Act 1987 and Merchant Shipping Act 1995 as referred to in the Code, but also by general legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 .
The right of responsible non-motorised access to land enshrined in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 applies to both land and inland water. These access rights, set out as rights and responsibilities in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, do not however apply to ports and harbours.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how long the Connecting Scotland initiative is planned to operate for.
Answer
Connecting Scotland was planned to run till the end of 2021. However, the depth of the challenges of digital exclusion that the pandemic has revealed mean we are extending the programme till the end of this Parliament in 2026, as set out in the Programme for Government.
The current phase is open for applications from organisations working to remove barriers related to digital exclusion for unemployed young people and adults until 27 September 2021. From 28 September the programme will be accepting fast track applications from organisations that can identify users who are digitally excluded, on a low income, and at risk of social isolation and loneliness (particularly older people, people with disabilities, and single parents).
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government on 23 June 2021 (Official Report, c.23), whether it will provide a breakdown of the almost £2.5 billion that the cabinet secretary said has been invested to support low-income households.
Answer
As set out within the Tackling Child Poverty third year progress report, published on 23 June 2021, it is estimated that the Scottish Government invested almost £2.5 billion to support low income households in 2020-21. The member can find the breakdown of this investment on pages 67-69 of the report using the following link:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/tackling-child-poverty-third-year-progress-report-2020-2021
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing self-isolation guidelines for staff working in social care in order to ensure that an adequate level of care can be maintained with minimal disruption (a) for vulnerable young people and (b) in all social care settings.
Answer
The Scotland Government no longer require social care staff (in line with the general population) to self-isolate if they are double vaccinated, symptom free and return a negative PCR test. As an additional protection social care staff are also asked to undertake daily LFD testing for ten days following covid exposure.
More information can be found at the following link:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – exemption of fully vaccinated social care staff from isolation: information for providers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland's plastic waste is exported; what steps it is taking to reduce this, and what date it has set to end the practice.
Answer
This information is publically available through the SEPA Waste Discover Data Tool: https://informatics.sepa.org.uk/WasteAllSources/
We are actively working with potential investors in plastic reprocessing capacity in Scotland. Zero Waste Scotland have commissioned work to better understand and forecast the volumes of materials, including plastics, collected for recycling.
Once it goes live, Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will create a stream of high value plastic which will be attractive to reprocessors. Our £70 million fund to improve recycling infrastructure will also help to improve the quality and quantity of recyclate collected.
In addition, we are working with the other governments of the UK on reform of the packaging producer responsibility system to provide greater incentives for domestic reprocessing.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01507 by Humza Yousaf on 30 August 2021, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what targets it has set for the regular use of lateral flow tests by members of the public.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring Covid testing is as accessible as possible and we have put in place a number of initiatives to encourage the use of lateral flow tests for routine asymptomatic testing. Our communication campaign recommends that members of the public use the lateral flow tests to test themselves twice a week. Our aim is to ensure that lateral flow tests are widely available and accessible to anyone who wants to use them. A target would not be helpful to deliver this.
As stated previously, the Scottish Government has used a number of approaches to promote regular testing; this includes targeted campaigns and guidance on how to access test supplies and the introduction of Pharmacy Collect. We will continue to develop campaigns to promote the importance of regular testing in preventing the transmission of Covid-19.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates work will commence on the Birnam to Jubilee Bridge section of the A9 to upgrade it to a dual carriageway.
Answer
Following completion of an innovative co-creative process with the community, work to assess four route options, including the community’s preferred route option, is ongoing to identify a Preferred Route option. This is being progressed in accordance with design standards and once a Preferred Route option is announced a timetable for the statutory processes will be set. It is necessary that the correct statutory process is followed to ensure a fair and transparent assessment of options and impacts on local communities and road users.
A market consultation exercise commenced earlier this year to inform an assessment of procurement options for the remaining sections when the statutory process is complete. Determination of the optimal procurement option is a complex exercise which is considering a pipeline of work in a form that can be delivered by the industry, supports the economic recovery post COVID and minimises disruption to users of this lifeline route. It is expected this analysis will be completed in the coming weeks and will inform decision making on our procurement approach and phasing.