- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that women are able to remove contraceptive implants and devices, such as Essure, through the NHS when they wish to do so.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08445 on 6 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: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02823 by Kate Forbes on 24 September 2021, whether the "rail improvement project" referred to has concluded option selection, in light of it being "on course to conclude option selection by early" in 2022, and what the options are that are being selected from.
Answer
The package of enhancements identified by the project team for taking forward is currently being reviewed by Network Rail’s operations team for Scotland. It comprises signal enhancements, improvements to station approaches and specific capacity alterations to facilitate the mixed operation of faster and slower trains on the same route.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allocate any additional resources to local authorities in order to help them undertake any work they have to do for the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has provided funding to local authorities to sustain and enhance resettlement teams and enable co-ordination of the third sector contribution to this work. We have made available more than £7 million to local authorities to support refurbishment of accommodation to support displaced people from Ukraine.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the Third National Planning Framework (NPF3) was monitored and evaluated and whether this was done against the outcomes set out in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
Answer
In 2019 we published our National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) Monitoring Report which reflected on progress across the 30 key actions and 14 national developments. NPF3 was published in 2014 so was not monitored against the 6 outcomes which were introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.
We will work with key stakeholders to ensure monitoring for NPF4 is proportionate and effective.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02823 by Kate Forbes on 24 September 2021, whether any eligible housing infrastructure projects have since been submitted as part of the £20 million indicative allocation referred to in the 2016 agreement, and, if not, what has happened to the £20 million indicative allocation.
Answer
A number of City Region Deals include elements of housing infrastructure that is required to unlock wider housing delivery and regional growth ambitions including a notional £20m joint allocation for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. It is the responsibility of Councils to bring forward eligible Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) projects to the Scottish Government for consideration. Progress has been slower than anticipated and to date no eligible HIF projects have been submitted by the Councils as part of the £20m indicative allocation referred to in the 2016 agreement. Given the long-term plans for City Deal delivery in the region, and that HIF is open for new applications, Scottish Government officials will remain engaged with both Councils to support them to apply for HIF support where suitable projects through the City Deal delivery plans are identified.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6O-00767 and S6W-06283 by Tom Arthur on 23 and 25 February 2022 respectively, whether it will provide details of what work will recommence in the spring.
Answer
We are currently reviewing the previous work done, including the draft policy development, the results from the formal consultation and the written reports of the round table events, and will look to commence stakeholder engagement after the local government elections.
- Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, following the meeting between the Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport and members of the Life After Essure support group, what actions it has decided to take to help raise awareness of the Essure contraceptive device and its possible complications among clinicians and patients in Scotland.
Answer
I can confirm that my officials and I met with members of the Life After Essure support group on 31 March. I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the experiences of the women first hand, and found the meeting very helpful.
What became clear was the need for a consistent approach for any women experiencing complications as a result of this device. As such, I can confirm that I have agreed to write to GPs and other relevant clinicians in order to highlight the concerns that have been raised. In addition, I have also undertaken to give consideration to what further action can be taken to ensure that there is increased awareness amongst both patients and clinicians.
I will be happy to provide further updates in due course.
- 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 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for outlining the detail of when the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) will report on key policy decisions.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05896 on 7 February 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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review planning gains for onshore windfarm developments, in order to allow rural communities to offset any negative impact that a saturation of windfarms may have on them.
Answer
Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) set out a spatial strategy based on how our approach to planning and development can help to achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045. This included a new policy on community wealth building, supporting a more people-centred approach to economic development. This draft policy proposed that individual proposals in national and major categories of development should contribute to community wealth building objectives.
The Scottish Government also encourages renewable energy businesses and communities to utilise its Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments (and Shared Ownership of Onshore Renewable Energy Developments) (May 2019) which sets out national standards for implementing community benefits.
The Parliamentary scrutiny period and public consultation on Draft NPF4 has now concluded. Responses received are now being analysed and will inform the finalised NPF4, which will be submitted for Parliament’s approval, prior to adoption by Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider a moratorium on onshore windfarm developments until National Planning Framework 4 is published later in 2022.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on windfarm development.
To achieve a net zero, nature-positive Scotland, our planning system must be rebalanced so that climate change and nature recovery are the primary guiding principles for all our plans and all our decisions. Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) set out new Universal Policies that should apply to all planning decisions to help us tackle the climate and nature crises and ensure Scotland adapts to thrive within the planet’s sustainable limits. It also included green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis.
The Parliamentary scrutiny period and public consultation on Draft National Planning Framework 4 has now concluded. Responses received are now being analysed and will inform the finalised NPF4, which will be submitted for Parliament’s approval, prior to adoption by Scottish Ministers.