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: S5O-03571

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people in the Highlands and Islands who are experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

Question reference: S5O-03508

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on fully implementing the recommendations in the Scottish Information Commissioner’s intervention report on its FOI practice and performance.

Question reference: S5O-03486

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when Inverness Airport will have a railway station.

Question reference: S5W-24521

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the use and licensing arrangements of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) by NHS Health Scotland, and what plans there are for future use and licensing.

NHS Health Scotland currently holds the licence for the internationally developed Livingworks suicide prevention programmes and complies with the quality assurance processes required. This licence covers both safeTALK and ASIST programmes. This arrangement will continue, subject to agreement with Livingworks, for as long as is required. Uptake of the programme has been from a variety of sectors including health and Social Care staff and Social security staff.

Question reference: S5W-24522

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to NHS Health Scotland for mental health first aid instructor training courses in 2019-20; how many courses are being run, and what plans it has for the future of mental health first aid.

In 2018-19 NHS Health Scotland provided instructor training for an additional 100 trainers to deliver local Scottish Mental Health First Aid training. During 2019-20, the focus will be on supporting those trainers to provide programmes, as well as continuing to support the existing trainers, to deliver Scottish Mental Health First Aid. Until those trainers are fully embedded, no further instructor training will be provided by NHS Health Scotland. Scottish Government has commissioned NHS Education for Scotland and NHS Health Scotland to develop refreshed and updated mental health and suicide prevention learning resources. Whilst theses are being developed, the provision of Scottish Mental Health First Aid Resources complemented by training, will continue to be supported by NHS Health Scotland.

As yet we have not provided any funding for NHS Health Scotland for 2019-20 as they have not made an application for funding.

Question reference: S5W-24520

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21823 by Clare Haughey on 6 March 2019, whether it plans to produce a tailored mental health training package specifically for school staff and, if so, when it will do so.

The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening the resources available to all school staff to support the mental health and wellbeing of our children, young people and our teaching workforce.

In addition to the commitments contained in the 2018 Programme for Government, we are developing a comprehensive suite of mental health resources which will equip all school staff to support children and young people. This will enhance the strategies already available to schools and will be published by the end of 2020.

The recent pay agreement for teachers also commits the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers to addressing issues relating to teachers’ health and wellbeing. Our work with teachers and teacher organisations will continue to identify where there is action that we can take to improve the daily lives of teachers.

Question reference: S5W-23901

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what analysis it has carried out of transition periods for agricultural support after the UK leaves the EU.

Question reference: S5W-23904

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it will put in place to encourage and support new entrants as part of a new support system for farming.

Question reference: S5W-23900

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what progress it has made on developing a future farming strategy for Scotland since it last updated the Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-23902

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it has to simplify the delivery arrangements for pillar 1 payments.