Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-07281

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce regulations, similar to those in England and Wales, to only allow A1 and A2 rated Euroclass materials to be used on the outside of high-rise and institutional buildings in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07280

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering evidence from the Grenfell Tower inquiry as part of its review of the continued role of the BS 8414 standard in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07273

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many children have undertaken water safety classes in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Ensuring that every child learns to swim is a priority for both the Scottish Government and Scottish Swimming. The National Learn to Swim Framework, which is supported by Scottish Water and delivered by aquatic partners every week, helps children to become safe, competent, and confident swimmers and these water safety themed lessons are an essential part of the Framework to help educate on water safety.

Our Programme for Government committed to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament. We are working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Water to deliver further interventions and approaches on learn to swim with inclusion central to that approach.

Question reference: S6W-07264

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the definition of domestic abuse to include other members of a family.

Since the late 1990s, an agreed definition of domestic abuse has been used to collate information on domestic abuse incidents within Scotland. This definition was progressed by the then Scottish Office and agreed through consultation with key justice agencies and stakeholders. It is as follows:

‘Domestic abuse is any form of physical, non-physical, or sexual abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship, committed either in the home or elsewhere. This relationship will be between partners (married, co-habiting or otherwise) or ex-partners.’

The Scottish Government has considered the statutory definition of domestic abuse contained at Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which relates to England and Wales. The principal practical difference between the definition contained in that Act and the Scottish definition above is that domestic abuse does not extend in Scotland so as to include abuse between certain relatives who are not partners or ex-partners.

The Scottish Government recognises that abuse can be committed by people who are not a person's partner or ex-partner, including by other family members. However, in line with the views of the majority of stakeholders who responded to Scottish Government consultations that led to the development of recent legislation concerning domestic abuse, the Scottish Government considers that it is appropriate that this legislation applies specifically to partners and ex-partners. This is because abuse committed by a person's partner or ex-partner typically has a dynamic that differs from violence or abuse more generally, including where this abuse occurs within a family between, for example, siblings or parents and their adult children. There is a range of existing legislation that can be used to address familial abuse.

While the Scottish Government keeps the law under continual review to ensure that it is effective, there are no current plans to amend the definition of domestic abuse in Scotland to cover abuse perpetrated by family members who are not partners or ex-partners.

Question reference: S6W-07272

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many children have learnt to swim in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Ensuring that every child learns to swim is a priority for both the Scottish Government and Scottish Swimming. The National Learn to Swim Framework, which is supported by Scottish Water and delivered by aquatic partners every week, helps children to become safe, competent, and confident swimmers and these water safety themed lessons are an essential part of the Framework to help educate on water safety.

Our Programme for Government committed to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament. We are working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Water to deliver further interventions and approaches on learn to swim with inclusion central to that approach.

Question reference: S6W-07233

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the current starting salary for a qualified teacher in Scotland, and how this compares with the equivalent salary in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Question reference: S6W-07176

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to improve the health of any women who may have experienced reported side effects such as chronic pain, nickel poisoning, perforated organs and autoimmune reactions as a result of having an Essure contraceptive implant.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06890 on 9 March 2022.

It is important that anyone who experiences complications receives appropriate and timely care, and so I would encourage any woman with concerns to speak to her GP in the first instance. We are clear that GPs must take any patient’s concerns seriously, and must ensure that they have all the advice they to make an informed decision on their care.

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

Question reference: S6W-06979

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will be taking further to the release of the James Hutton Institute report on the impacts of sewage sludge.

Whilst there was no new evidence in the James Hutton Institute report to suggest a significant risk to human health or wellbeing in respect to the use of sewage sludge, my officials will continue to engage with both SEPA and Scottish Water regarding the report, to ensure the risk assessment and appropriate, recommended mitigations are in place.

The legislative changes recommended by the review of the Storage and Spreading of Sewage Sludge on Land in Scotland (The Sludge Review), are being introduced via the Integrated Authorisation Framework regulations, which are currently being progressed and will be consulted on in the coming months.

Question reference: S6T-00613

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any measures in place to prevent serious violent offenders from changing their names.

Question reference: S6T-00610

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with DP World and P&O Ferries regarding the loss of jobs for ferry staff working out of Cairnryan.

Chamber and committees