- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 7 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities on 13 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 12), whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making in fulfilling the cabinet secretary’s commitment to (a) engage with stakeholders on the prevention of online hatred and misogyny, (b) engage with stakeholders to ensure that the term “hate crime” applies to an event from the perspective of both the victim and the perpetrator, (c) build dialogue on the understanding of links between prejudice and hate crime, (d) review the effectiveness of third party reporting, including what action it will use to improve the effectiveness, (e) better protect people who experience hate crime on public transport, (f) implement the action plan on disability to address the underreporting of disability hate crime, (g) develop firmer definitions of “hate crime” and “prejudice” and (h) adopt the international definition for anti-Semitism, including when this will be adopted; which agencies will be included in the multi-agency delivery group to take forward the advisory group’s recommendations and when it will publish its refreshed approach to anti-bullying.
Answer
We are committed to doing all that we can to prevent and eradicate hate crime and prejudice, and build community cohesion. As set out in my statement on 13 June and in our response to the Independent Advisory Group, the Scottish Government will now take forward an ambitious programme of work in response to their recommendations.
The actions we have set out will be implemented between now and 2020 when we will publish an update on progress. We are currently in the process of establishing the multi-agency delivery group which, amongst other things, will look at how we address barriers to reporting, consider issues around online abuse and how we use the definition of anti-Semitism adopted on 16 June to inform our work in this area. We will continue to implement our disability action plan and take forward the development of a hate crime charter for public transport in partnership with disabled people’s organisations. We will also publish our refreshed National Approach to anti-bullying later in 2017.
Link to the Scottish Government's response to the Report of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/1336
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed policing in Edinburgh with Police Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2017
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £150 million that it announced for mental health in 2015 (a) remains unallocated and (b) has been allocated, broken down by (i) initiative and (ii) how long it will apply for.
Answer
The £150 million commitment for innovation and improvement was first made to begin in the calendar year 2016, running to the end of 2020. This was subsequently updated and built upon following the most recent Programme for Government (PFG) to be at least £150million from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
We have been clear on the intention that at least £150 million will be spent on innovation and improvement over both five year periods. In short, the £25.4 million spent for innovation and improvement prior to 2017-18 is in addition to the £150 million set out in the most recent PFG.
In 2017-18 the contribution to the £150million fund is £30 million. Allocations for this and future years are under consideration and will be subject to future Spending Reviews and decisions by Scottish Ministers and Parliament.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the reported increase in the number of GP practices being run directly by NHS boards.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2017
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01277 by Jamie Hepburn on 1 August 2016, what assessment it has made of Individual Placement and Support, and whether it will be made routinely available across the country to people with mental health problems as part of Fair Start Scotland.
Answer
During the design and development of Fair Start Scotland, we consulted with experts in mental health as well as carrying out research into what works in helping people with mental health conditions into work. We held several meetings of a Mental Health Advisory Group and concluded that Individual Placement and Support was a successful evidence based approach to helping people with severe and enduring mental health conditions into work.
In the Invitation to Tender for Fair Start Scotland, we have been clear that Individual Placement and Support for those with severe and enduring mental health conditions must be available and offered where required.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 10 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to support the promotion of healthy food to children and to protect them from the marketing of unhealthy foods, and how is any success being measured.
Answer
The Scottish Government has taken a broad range of measures to support the promotion of healthy food to children including:
-
Eat Better Feel Better, our social marketing campaign run for the past three years which builds on previous campaigns;
-
Big Breakfast Events through the Healthy Living Programme in partnership with the Scottish Grocers Federation; and
-
The Curriculum for Excellence with its focus on children and young people leaving school equipped with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to make positive lifestyle choices.
We evaluate programmes and monitor progress to determine their impact by a variety of ways depending on the nature of the programme.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 9 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to ensure mental health multidisciplinary teams have routine access to dieticians to prevent people with mental health problems developing physical health conditions, and to support them to manage the impact of medications on physical health.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all patients have appropriate and timely access to the services they need in NHS Scotland. The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local spending priorities, are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. This includes assessing the needs of local populations. It is therefore the responsibility of NHS Boards and local authorities to work with their partners and regularly review spending decisions to ensure they deliver fit for purpose services which respond to the needs of their local population, including the level of service provision required regarding dieticians.
We know that people with severe and enduring mental illness may have their lives shortened by 15 to 20 years because of physical ill-health. This is a significant health inequality, and tackling this premature mortality is a key ambition in the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 5 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of people with autism (a) taking up a modern apprenticeship and (b) accessing full-time employment.
Answer
In response to Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) recommendations, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) published its Equalities Action Plan for Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland on 2 December 2015.
The plan has a focus to increase the number of young disabled people; Ethnic minority groups and care leavers entering Modern Apprenticeships.
In order to attract and support young people on the autistic spectrum to be successful in a Modern Apprenticeship (MA) and other employment opportunities, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has engaged in a number of approaches to attract young people to available opportunities and to ensure that support is optimised once they have embarked upon their opportunity.
As part of the Scottish Strategy for Autism Scottish Government have worked with partners to increase the number of people with autism taking up employment. We funded Values into Action Scotland’s three-year project ‘Diversity Works 4 U’ to support young people with autism to access Modern Apprenticeships (MA) and to ensure the MA scheme is both inclusive and fully responsive to the needs of autistic people.
We have also supported a range of other supported employment models, including Project SEARCH, to support people with autism to find and sustain in employment. We will continue to work with our partners to promote personal outcomes approaches and to support more autistic people to take up employment.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07621 by Aileen Campbell on 31 March 2017, for what reason this figure is lower than the figures for England and Wales, which were given in response to House of Lords parliamentary question QWA HL5369 on 21 February 2017.
Answer
In Scotland, almost all abortions are carried out in NHS hospitals, but for women in England and Wales, a majority take place in the independent sector. The independent sector in England and Wales has well established arrangements in place to provide privately-funded abortion care to women resident in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, in addition to providing NHS-funded care for residents of England and Wales.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 21 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish no-parking zones around schools.
Answer
Local authorities currently have duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to provide secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic, including the parking matters. Under the 1984 Act, local authorities can decide to restrict or prohibit parking by making a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). A TRO can be promoted for a variety of reasons and is enforceable when the appropriate road signs or markings are displayed. The restrictions could cover particular hotspots, such as roads near schools or larger areas, and need not necessarily prohibit parking at all times – this would very much depend on the wording of the TRO being promoted by the local authority. As Local Authorities have jurisdiction over local roads it is not for Scottish Ministers to intervene in a Local Authority's day-to-day performance of these particular duties.
However, we have published a public consultation paper entitled ‘Improving Parking in Scotland’, which explores how parking is managed and enforced across the country. The paper is seeking views of the public about how we can improve parking management in Scotland. The findings of the public consultation paper will inform the development of future legislation.
