Chamber and committees

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: S6O-00639

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide homeless accommodation in rural communities.

Question reference: S6W-05377

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to publish the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care.

Significant work has already taken place to develop a National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social care, in partnership with CoSLA.

Pursuant to extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the health and social care landscape, the Strategy will outline our shared vision for the workforce, which supports a tripartite ambition of recovery, growth and transformation. It will also set out the actions we are taking in partnership with the workforce, to achieve that vision.

Unfortunately, the rapid emergence of the Omicron variant including the potential challenges this presents for maintenance of our Health and Social care services as we move through Winter, means that this is rightly our immediate focus. We will do all we can to ensure staff are protected and are rapidly increasing the rollout of our vaccinations programme to protect the public.

In light of these developments, the Strategy will now be published in early 2022 to allow us to focus our efforts on the essential business of responding to Covid-19, It is essential we do all we can to promote staff wellbeing, and we will reflect on this next phase of the pandemic as we move forward with publication of the Strategy as soon as is practicable.

Question reference: S6O-00530

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can offer to people that health and social care services are being supported during the ongoing pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00395

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on issuing payments to farmers and crofters through this year’s National Basic Payment Support Scheme.

Question reference: S6O-00340

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the dignity, security and wellbeing of Scotland’s veterans.

Question reference: S6T-00222

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken in response to reports of recent increases in drink spiking and spiking by injection in nightclubs and bars.

Question reference: S6O-00259

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6F-00321

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had, and plans it has made, with key Scottish industries to support vulnerable households this winter.

Question reference: S6W-02766

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, including what resources are available, to raise awareness of the (a) Scottish Outdoor Access Code and (b) dangers of visiting some rural locations, in light of recent water deaths.

Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, it is the duty of NatureScot and local authorities and National Park Authorities to publicise the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The Scottish Government’s public agencies are running promotional campaigns, such as the Sustainable and Responsible Tourism in Scotland initiative (VisitScotland) or the Responsible Access campaign (Cairngorms National Park). These campaigns promote responsible enjoyment of the countryside, as part of the wider national visitor management strategy co-ordinated by VisitScotland.

Figures show there has been widespread public engagement with these campaigns over the spring and summer period. For example, 12.8 million impressions across social media have been received by NatureScot since March 2021.

£2.75 million has been allocated by Scottish Ministers this year for the Better Places Green Recovery Fund, administered by NatureScot, which partly provides for additional seasonal rangers to promote responsible behaviour in line with the access code. We are also providing our National Parks with an extra £3.6 million in 2021 which will also include additional support for seasonal rangers.

With specific regard to water safety, which is an important issue in urban as well as rural areas, the Scottish Government works closely with Water Safety Scotland and other key partners to implement and support initiatives that can help raise awareness of the hazards around water and reduce deaths from accidental drowning. They run a series of campaigns annually, including ‘Drowning Prevention Week’, ‘Don’t Drink and Drown’ and ‘Inflatable Safety’. The Scottish Government also provides annual grant funding to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to deliver its annual home and water safety programme, which includes providing a secretariat to Water Safety Scotland.

Messaging is performed by a number of public agencies in a number of formats, and cumulative figures on spend are not available.

Question reference: S6W-02653

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported high numbers of people visiting Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, what (a) action it is taking to support local communities and public authorities to manage any increased visitor activity, while maintaining access to services for residents, and (b) funding is available for investment in infrastructure, including in visitor facilities, public transport and active travel, to support the area to manage the experiences of both visitors and residents.

The Scottish Government and VisitScotland are in close contact with Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park (LLTNPA) and other partners on a regular basis. Working with LLTNP, VisitScotland has led a responsible tourism marketing campaign and developed a national action plan for visitor management to help meet the challenges of the 2021 season while international travel has remained restricted.

The LLTNPA has worked in collaboration with other public bodies to address and manage visitor pressures through the National Park Safe Recovery Action Group. It’s Visitor Management Plans - Respect Protect Enjoy -Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park (lochlomond-trossachs.org) sets out the extensive range of measures and resources put in place for the 2021 season. The partners continue to meet every Monday to discuss emerging issues, solutions and opportunities. It is recognised that some challenges will require longer term solutions.

Localised visitor management groups have also been established this summer. Meetings have been held to ensure stakeholders (communities, land managers, businesses and recreation groups) are informed on the partnership work to manage visitor pressures. Recordings of each session have been published online on our Advice for Communities webpage. These sessions have included signposting to funding.

Funding of £475,000 has been provided by the Scottish Government over the last two years to the National Park to meet the costs associated with additional visitor management pressures following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. In addition to this a further £425,000 has been allocated to mitigate the wider impact of the pandemic on businesses and local communities. This funding has supported increased seasonal staff (such as rangers), toilet provision and signage among other things.

The Scottish Government also increased in the Park Authority’s Capital budget by £540,000 for 2021-22 to deliver visitor infrastructure improvements and develop a capital investment plan to better support visitor management. This also enabled the organisation to establish a £250,000 Green Recovery Fund.

https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/park-authority/how-we-can-help/funding-grants/national-park-grant-scheme/

LLTNPA has received £100k from Transport Scotland towards a Sustainable Visitor Transport Co-ordination Project and a parallel Shuttle Bus Pilot in 2022 which focuses on visitor hot spots.