- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Rare Disease Action Plan.
Answer
As part of our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are reassessing all our priorities to take a systematic, person-centred approach to planning and delivering health and social care services for the people of Scotland.
As we go through a process of realignment, we are taking time to ensure all our strategies are designed around the people using and delivering health and social care services and working together to improve health outcomes. This is even more pertinent for those living with a rare disease.While we expected to publish our Action Plan in the spring, the Rare Disease Action Plan will now be published once this work is complete to ensure maximum impact for the people who need it. This will result in a stronger, interlinked action plan that has a real impact for people with a rare disease.
We will continue to work with Scotland’s Rare Disease Implementation Board and other key partners to progress work that will improve the lives of people in Scotland living with rare diseases.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that foster carers in Glasgow have not received a pay increase since 2009; what its position is on whether this can be considered fair pay, and, if it considers this is not the case, what steps it can take to address the matter.
Answer
Responsibility for providing financial support to foster carers registered with Glasgow City Council is a matter for Glasgow City Council. Any concerns about levels of foster carer fees or foster care allowances should be addressed directly to them.
The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to find a way forward on the introduction of the Scottish Recommended Allowance for both foster and kinship carers across Scotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the average grant paid out from the Young Patients Family Fund was in 2021-22.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to PQ S6W-08047 on 10 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated from the Young Patients Family Fund for cancer patients in 2021-22.
Answer
Funding under the Young Patients Family Fund is available to eligible visitors of all young inpatients. Requirement for in-patient care can vary by condition and type of treatment, and some patients may have multiple conditions or treatments over time. For these reasons we do not collect data on individual conditions.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08000 by Kate Forbes on 25 April 2022, how many candidates with agricultural experience applied for the recently advertised vacancies.
Answer
South of Scotland Enterprise advertised for four new Board members in Autumn 2021. Applicants were asked to demonstrate evidence of their skills, knowledge and experience in one of three areas: land based industries; governance/strategic management; or digital transformation.
The Scottish Government received 47 completed applications for the advertised vacancies. Of these, over a third (16 applicants) set out evidence under the ‘land-based industry’ criterion. However, it is possible that other applicants, who chose to set out evidence against one of the other criteria instead, may also have experience in land based industries.
- Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the British Standards Institute regarding the timeline for establishing the proposed Scottish Technical Group, to help ensure that PAS regulations can be tailored for rural and coastal housing stock, climate and geography.
Answer
We are continuing to work with the BSI to finalise the membership and terms of reference for a new Scottish technical group to help achieve this. The membership of the group will include a representative who can highlight the needs and concerns of remote rural and island communities in Scotland. We expect the new group to identify and establish good practice for retrofitting traditional properties in more exposed locations, such as coastal and island communities.
The process of reaching out to potential members of the new group has been started and we expect the first meeting of the new group to take place during the Summer.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economics of electric arc furnaces in Scotland.
Answer
As noted in the reply to question S6W-08344, we commissioned independent research into the steel sector in Scotland: this included consideration of the scope for electric arc furnaces in Scotland. We would encourage any company interested in developing an electric arc furnace to seek advice and support from their local Enterprise Agency. These are large-scale ambitions that need large-scale solutions and will require significant private sector investment.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07335 by Maree Todd on 25 March 2022, which details funding provided to the Scottish Huntington’s Association prior to the lodging of motion S6M-00923, which was supported by 99 MSPs of all parties, what steps it has taken since the lodging of the motion to act on its call to expand specialist Huntington’s disease services in line with rising cases.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to PQ S6W-08279 on 10 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to (a) further extend and (b) review, in order to reflect the current situation facing pig farmers, the Pig Producers Hardship Support Scheme.
Answer
We have continued to monitor and engage with industry. We are aware that the sector is still under unprecedented pressure due to the backlog of pigs and the shortages in skilled labour, compounded by the more recent situation with Ukraine and increased input and energy prices. Given this, I can advise that we have made the decision to further extend the Pig Producers Hardship scheme and the sector will now have an additional £410,000 of support made available, this will bring the scheme total to just over £1.8 million. The scheme extension announcement was made on 9 May.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether there are any roundtable forums for self-employed inventors to meet relevant stakeholders in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not facilitate any forums or roundtables for self-employed inventors. We are working with industry and key stakeholders to develop a new innovation strategy to ensure businesses, people and institutions are ready to meet the challenges and opportunities we face over the next 10 years. We will ensure the support we provide is easy to access and focused on areas of greatest opportunity to meet our vision in becoming a world leading, innovation nation.