Parliamentary questions
Stephen Kerr
2,595 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 May 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to local authorities to enable them to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
3 May 2022 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the ruling of the Scottish Information Commissioner that it should release legal advice that it received regarding a second independence referendum.
20 Apr 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the provision of funded laptops, tablets and internet connections for young people across Scotland.
12 Apr 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to local authorities to help them maximise the amount of Levelling Up funding that they receive from the UK Government.
31 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of teachers in Scotland have tested positive for COVID-19.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: This information is not held centrally. Information on the numbers of teachers not in school for Covid-19 related reasons each week can be found here in the 'School Staff Absence' tab: COVID19 - Schools and Childcare Information August 2021 | Tableau Public
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what assessment has been made of SEPA’s ability to enforce the law and protect the environment following the data breach in December 2020.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government continue to actively monitor SEPA via agreed milestones within its Annual Operating Plan. This will be key to ensuring SEPA continue to maintain a high degree of environmental protection as referred to in S6W-07720 on 9 May 2022 . All…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is giving to help return SEPA to normal operations following the data breach in December 2020.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government responded quickly to provide support to enable SEPA to meet its highest priority and immediate requirements. This included provision of 120 laptops to enable staff delivering the most critical services to communicate easily and securel…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans exist for SEPA to get back to normal operations following the data breach in December 2020.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: SEPA remains impacted by the cyber-attack and significant work is ongoing to build back. SEPA’s approach is to accelerate improvements already underway by building new systems and ways of working that will set it up for long term success. This includes a digi…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what conversations and correspondence has taken place between ministers and SEPA regarding the data breach in December 2020.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government officials continue to meet at least monthly with SEPA and Scottish Ministers are provided with regular update briefings. In addition, the Minister for Environment and Land Reform has met on a number of occasions with the SEPA Chair, Board …
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what advice and guidance has been given to SEPA following the data breach in December 2020.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: On 27 October 2021, SEPA published independent audits , commissioned from Police Scotland, The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, Azets and its own organisational response to allow others to learn from the SEPA experience. There were 44 learning points id…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the ramifications are of the data breach at SEPA in December 2020 for Scotland’s environment.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: SEPA’s most critical services, including flood forecasting and warning service and its 24-hour pollution hotline, were restored on the day of the attack. SEPA maintained its ability to receive reports of and to attend environmental incidents, prioritising tho…
22 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide regarding the support that is given to people who attend A&E between 5.30 pm and 9.00 am with suicidal intentions.
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of children and young people are currently beginning treatment for mental health within 18 weeks of referral, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We have allocated nearly £40m additional funding in 2021-22 to NHS Boards to improve CAMHS from our £120m Recovery and Renewal fund. £4.25m of that allocation is directly focussed on offering treatment to those already on CAMHS waiting lists, with a view to c…
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of children and young people are currently beginning treatment for mental health within 18 weeks of referral in NHS Forth Valley.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We have allocated over £2million additional funding in 2021-22 to NHS Forth Valley to improve CAMHS from our £120m Recovery and Renewal fund. The Scottish Government national standard is that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 …
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06487 by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2022, which seven NHS boards are receiving enhanced support, and which NHS boards it anticipates will receive enhanced support over the next 6 to 12 months.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: NHS Borders, Fife, Forth Valley, Highland, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside have all been receiving enhanced support to meet the waiting times standard and eliminate long waits by end March 2023. We will shortly be writing out to all Boards to inform them ab…
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of acute hospital admissions were due to COVID-19 since 1 January 2022, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information on COVID-19 related hospital admissions is routinely collected and reported by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many acute hospital admissions in NHS Forth Valley were due to COVID-19 since 1 January 2022.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information on COVID-19 related hospital admissions is routinely collected and reported by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06239 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 February 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown of how many (a) laptops, (b) Chromebooks, and (c) tablets have been given to schoolchildren since 1 May 2021.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As noted in the answer to S6W-06239, we do not hold detailed information centrally on those local approaches and so cannot provide the breakdown as requested. However, the latest information we have from councils indicates that almost 280,000 devices have bee…
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what companies are providing the free internet connections for schoolchildren.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Connectivity packages are being procured by individual local authorities to ensure they can be used in line with local digital learning strategies. We do not have detailed information on how they are being procured across all areas and decisions on their use …
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what companies are providing the laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets that are currently being given to schoolchildren.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Devices are being procured by individual local authorities to ensure they can be used in line with local digital learning strategies. We do not have detailed information on how they are currently being procured and decisions on their use and distribution are …
8 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many frontline police officers are currently serving in Police Scotland.
28 Feb 2022 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Information Commissioner’s Office recently issuing a reprimand to it and NHS National Services Scotland in relation to the COVID-19 status app.
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how any retrofitting of town centre buildings will be financed.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Financing for retrofitting will be largely dependent on the ownership of the buildings. There are a number of potential sources of financing including those referenced in our Infrastructure Investment Plan published in February 2021 and the latest Infrastruc…
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop community enterprises and entrepreneurship that are based around local and circular economies within town centres.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Town centres are a key part of any local economy. Zero Waste Scotland provides a range of support and advice for community enterprises and businesses that are relevant to building circular economies within town centres. This includes partnering with Social In…
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to encourage local small businesses to set up on the high street.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The National Strategy for Economic Transformation sets out our vision to make Scotland a world-class entrepreneurial nation that encourages, promotes and celebrates entrepreneurial activity in every sector of our economy. The strategy’s programme for action d…
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to use various technologies to (a) understand and (b) change behaviours in town centres.
Answer · Tom Arthur: We will commission and support the Understanding Scottish Places (USP) consortium to review evaluation and data needs and share that understanding so that local partners can develop solutions that respond to the local circumstances. In addition, the approach…
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of people living in town centres.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Increasing the number of people living in town centres was one of the themes in the Scottish Government's Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) and is also one of the recommendations made by the independent review of TCAP 'A New future for Scotland's Town Centres', …
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has expanded and aligned funding of demonstration projects in towns and town centres.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government is establishing a group to help identify potential place demonstrator projects, including in towns and town centres, as part of our 5 year £325 million Place-Based Investment Programme.
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed its current (a) tax, (b) funding and (c) development policies and programmes in order to ensure that wellbeing, economy, climate outcomes, fairness and equality are at their heart.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government keeps all its policies and programmes under review to support delivery of the outcomes in the National Performance Framework.
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in the publication, A New Future for Scotland's Town Centres, what measures it has taken to address concerns of the “unfair playing field stacked against town centres”.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The independent review of the 2013 Town Centre Action Plan, A New future for Scotland’s Town Centres, was commissioned by Scottish Ministers and published in February 2021. We are working collaboratively with COSLA and partners to respond to the review with a…