- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the business, New Look, is planning to close stores in Glasgow and across the country, what its position is on the potential economic impact that this may have, and what action it is taking to support high street retailers.
Answer
I am concerned to learn that the fashion retailer New Look has announced plans for a Company Voluntary Arrangement that could result in the closure of eight stores across Scotland. We stand ready to offer support for any employees facing redundancy through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative.
The Scottish Government recognises that the retail sector in Scotland is transforming in response to, among other things, significant changes to shopping habits and through new technology. There is no doubt that e-commerce is now having a significant impact.
We are aware that UK Government austerity measures and Brexit are affecting consumer confidence and spending. Despite this, we are doing everything within our powers to support our economy, including our retailers. For example, this year we will enhance measures to support both new development and re-use of vacant property in town centres and elsewhere as part of total rates relief of around £720 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which will lift over 100,000 properties out of rates altogether. In addition, we are working with the Scottish Retail Consortium to develop a retail strategy which will set out a clear road map for future tax and regulatory changes.
Scotland’s Town Centre First Principle, agreed with COSLA, together with the range of measures in the Town Centre Action Plan, set the conditions and underpin activity designed to tackle key issues such as diversifying the town centre offer to attract a range of businesses and services to locate there to build footfall for retail and other business areas.
We will continue to use all levers at our disposal to ensure that Scotland remains an attractive place for retailers to do business.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter by the Minister for Public Health and Sport to the Health and Sport Committee on 10 July 2017, whether the Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board has been established and, if so, what meetings it has held.
Answer
The Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board met for the first time on 7 September 2017, and again on 6 December. Its next meeting is on 27 Mar 2018, which it is devoting to the theme of law enforcement and mental health distress.
It has also established the Programme Board for Health and Social Care in prisons, which met for the first time on 26 February.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government when the Gypsy/Traveller ministerial working group last met.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2018
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14586 by Shona Robison on 28 February 2018, when the first periodic review of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme will (a) begin and (b) report.
Answer
Given that the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) has been in operation for just under one year and the clinical review of the impacts of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection is expected to report soon and may result in changes to the scheme criteria and payments in 2018-19, the Scottish Government has no plans to undertake a further formal review process in the near future.
The UK Infected Blood Inquiry might also reflect on the current financial support arrangements across the UK and make recommendations. The Inquiry's Terms of Reference have not yet been established, but a consultation is underway on this. Therefore, if the Chairman decides to include SIBSS within the Inquiry Terms of Reference, the Scottish Government would need to await the conclusion and any recommendations from the Inquiry before considering any significant further changes to SIBSS.
In the meantime, the operational aspects of the scheme will remain under regular review by the SIBSS advisory group. Views on the operation and experience of the scheme will also be collected by SIBSS via periodic surveys of beneficiaries, with the first survey expected to be undertaken soon.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2018
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to comments by Samaritans Scotland that the draft suicide prevention plan is “very disappointing”.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2018
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 9 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the Finance Director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the board faces a deficit of up to £20 million by the end of March 2018, and how it will work with the board to address this.
Answer
As with all NHS Boards the Scottish Government expects NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to continue to focus on delivering existing savings schemes and to identify additional opportunities to deliver services within its resource allocation. In doing this it will remain paramount that a balanced approach is taken to finance and performance, with quality of care continuing to be prioritised.
The Director of Finance at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has indicated to the Scottish Government that the Board’s year end position continues to moderate month on month and that it is heading in a positive direction towards being balanced by the year end.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s resource budget will increase by £31.8 million to £2,154.5 million in 2018-19. In addition, the Board will receive a share of £175 million for investment in reform. This additional funding is provided as part of our twin approach of investment and reform, recognising the increasing demand and expectations placed on frontline services and being clear that the status quo is not an option.
Our estimate is that Conservative tax policies would have resulted in a reduction in the Scottish Government’s resource budget of £501 million in 2018-19.
If such a reduction was applied to NHS Territorial Boards, the impact on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's resource budget would amount to £111.9 million.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking in light of reports that jobs could be lost at two major stores in Glasgow, and what discussions it has had or will have with Debenhams and Dunnes regarding the potential impact of job losses to the Glasgow economy.
Answer
We are disappointed at the news from Debenhams and Dunnes.
Our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team are working to support any affected employees. The PACE team worked closely with the staff affected by the planned Dunnes Stores closures, providing skills development and employability support to help them find alternative employment.
At this stage it is not clear how any changes at Debenhams may impact Glasgow staff. However, our PACE team have been in touch with Debenhams to offer support in the event that employees may face redundancy.
The Scottish Government recognises that the retail sector in Scotland is transforming in response to, among other things, significant changes to shopping habits and through new technology. There is no doubt that e-commerce is now having a significant impact. However Scotland’s Town Centre First Principle, agreed with COSLA, together with the range of measures in the Town Centre Action Plan, set the conditions and underpin activity designed to tackle key issues such as empty shops, diversify the town centre offer and thereby attract a range of businesses and services to locate there to build footfall for retail and other business areas. In Glasgow, as you will be well aware, the city centre continues to provide residents and visitors with an exciting mix of shopping, culture, leisure and entertainment experiences and Glasgow’s economy remains diverse and resilient.
However, I want to reassure you that we will continue to use all levers at our disposal to ensure that Scotland remains an attractive place for retailers to do business.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 5 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people have accessed services at each rape crisis centre in each year since 2014-15.
Answer
Rape Crisis Scotland publish annual reports which detail the number of people who have accessed services at each rape crisis centres across Scotland. These annual figures are as follows:
2014-15 – 2,665
2015-16 - 3,315
2016-17 - 4,108
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 28 February 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment set out in Proposal 5 of the report, Contaminated Blood: Financial Support: Conclusions and Recommendations, that "the operation of the schemes should be subject to
periodic review in conjunction with beneficiaries".
Answer
The operation of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme will indeed be subject to periodic review in conjunction with the scheme's beneficiaries. The scheme has an advisory group that includes representation from the third sector and organisations representing scheme beneficiaries. Any procedural issues and developments are discussed with the group and several operational changes have already been made as a result of that ongoing scrutiny.
Professor David Goldberg of Health Protection Scotland is currently leading a clinical review of the impacts of hepatitis C (HCV) infection that is expected to report in the next few months. This review also involves organisations representing scheme beneficiaries. The review report will reflect on the evidence-base for the current scheme distinctions between chronic and advanced HCV support and consider options for tailoring support more closely to the specific level of health impact of HCV.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the availability of more flexible hours in local authority nurseries.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2018
