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: S6W-08576

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether further funding will be provided in addition to the recently announced £15 million Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund investment, in order to match the £22 million investment in the financial year 2021-22.

In October 2021, I was delighted to launch the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, supported by a £15 million investment for 2021-22. This funding has now been successfully distributed to a wide range of grassroots, community based projects across Scotland. A further £15 million was announced this month for a second year of the Fund in 2022-23.

£15 million in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 is a significant investment in grassroots, community mental health and wellbeing support. To date, almost 2000 awards have been made to projects, focused on a range of at risk groups including older people and those facing social isolation, people with long-term health conditions and people facing socio-economic disadvantage. This is making a real difference to mental health and wellbeing in many communities.

To aid with pandemic recovery and respond to the high demand for community projects in 2021-22, an additional £6 million was provided in February, bringing total funding for 2021-22 to £21 million. We will continue to build on the success of this work in Year 2, and ensure that the sizeable additional £15 million investment makes a valuable impact on mental health and wellbeing within communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01165

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many Green Jobs have been supported since the introduction of the Green Jobs Fund.

Question reference: S6W-08384

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate plans to initiate a corporate homicide investigation into the Scottish Government's reported policies of discharging untested patients to care homes and overruling family power of attorney during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All Covid-19 or presumed Covid-19 deaths where the deceased may have contracted the virus in the course of their employment or occupation or where the deceased was resident in a care home when the virus was contracted fall to be reported to COPFS. A specialist Covid-19 deaths investigation unit has been set up and continues to receive and consider all such reports and direct further investigations, where appropriate, into the circumstances of each death.

It would not be appropriate, at this stage, to comment on the potential outcome of its investigations or the course which those investigations will take. This includes any individual or collective actions or otherwise of those involved in Covid-19 deaths. However, in appropriate cases where criminal proceedings are in contemplation, all relevant charges will be considered.

Question reference: S6W-08379

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of care experienced children and young people who are (a) handcuffed and (b) otherwise restrained during secure transportation, and the reasons for such restraints being used.

The Scottish Government hold data on the number of journeys where children and young people are securely transported for the duration of a custodial sentence. Handcuffs are used in all journeys due to the type of vehicle used. The total number of journeys in the current contract period is:

	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Total number of journeys	29	26	14

No incidents of restraint have been recorded during the current contract.

Information on the use of handcuffs and restraint during secure transport arranged by individual local authorities is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-08378

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects, other than regarding the frequency of use, on the practice of (a) handcuffing and (b) otherwise restraining of care experienced children and young people during secure transportation.

Duties relating to secure transport lie principally with the local authority responsible for the child’s placement. Information is not held centrally on the use of handcuffs and restraint being applied to care-experienced children whilst being securely transported.

The Scottish Government has a contract with GEOAmey to provide secure transport for children convicted on indictment and given a custodial sentence. for providing this transportation.

GEOAmey must provide the Scottish Government with details of when restraint is used. No incidents of restraint have been recorded during the current contract.

GEOAmey must ensure that the child or young person being transported, staff and the general public are protected by robust arrangements throughout each journey, including the prevention of escape. Multi-purpose vehicles are used to transport children and young people, rather than prison vans used to transport adult prisoners. Because of this, handcuffs are used for each journey.

Details of each journey, any risks to be taken into consideration by GEOAmey and any subsequent incidents are held on the Scottish Government’s Parole Case Management System.

Question reference: S6W-08383

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place regarding its ministers' responsibility for (a) discharging untested patients to care homes and (b) the overruling of family power of attorney, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decisions to discharge patients are not made by Ministers, they are made by health and social care professionals, alongside the patient and their family, or their legal representative where applicable.

As was the case before the pandemic, where someone is most appropriately cared for after discharge is based on a multi-disciplinary assessment of the individual’s needs and wishes. There are a range of factors that clinicians will consider as part of this assessment, including clinical readiness for discharge and the best setting for meeting the individual’s needs.

If an attorney is unhappy with the decision to discharge a patient they can raise a complaint against the person or organisation who has taken the decision, or apply for directions from the sheriff under section 3(3) of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

Public Health Scotland undertook an analysis of discharges to care homes and found that care home size is very strongly related to outbreaks. That is, the risk of a care home outbreak increased progressively as the size of care home increased. Furthermore, there was no clear statistical evidence that hospital discharges were associated with care home outbreaks. The analysis was published on 21 April 2021 and can be found here: Discharges from NHSScotland hospitals to care homes - Between 1 March and 31 May 2020 (revised) - Discharges from NHSScotland hospitals to care homes - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Question reference: S6O-01138

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its Super Sponsor scheme takes account of the preferences of Ukrainian refugees regarding settlement locations within Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-08376

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of what Historical Adoption Support Trauma Service is being developed.

As part of the £145,000 funding we announced earlier in March, we are in the process of commissioning research into support services in Scotland. The analysis and research will help us to understand what support is needed to help the people affected by historical adoption practices.

We have also introduced a working group to assist with the implementation of peer support groups where we are working with partners to scope and develop the support service.

Question reference: S6W-08382

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to help to expand the Men’s Shed Movement in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has supported the men’s sheds movement in Scotland since 2016 with sustained core funding provided to the national support organisation, the Scottish Mens Sheds Association (SMSA), which has enabled them to grow the men’s sheds movement here in Scotland year on year.

We are aware of their contribution to the preventative health agenda, tackling social isolation and loneliness, and their impact on our wider community empowerment ambitions, and that is why we continue to support the growth of men’s sheds.

Scottish Government is currently working with the SMSA and their Executive Officer Jason Schroeder, to agree the necessary support for this year that will help them continue to grow the movement here in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-08377

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Physical Intervention Working Group last met, and when the group will submit its recommendations to ministers.

The Scottish Government is working with partners, including the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, on new human rights-based non-statutory guidance to minimise the use of restraint in schools.

The physical intervention working group began work on the new guidance in January 2020. Progress was affected by group members’ focus on the Covid-19 response. However, work resumed in June 2020 and positive progress has been made since then. The working group last met on 23 November 2021. Following that meeting, working group members reached agreement by correspondence that the draft guidance can be put to public consultation. The Scottish Government is currently preparing this consultation.

Details of the membership and notes of the meetings of the physical intervention working group are available on the Scottish Government’s website: Physical Intervention Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .