Parliamentary questions
Sharon Dowey
756 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what number of empty homes were acquired using compulsory purchase orders in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, (c) 2020-21 and (d) 2021-22, to date.
Answer · Shona Robison: Year Number 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019 3 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020 5 1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021 5 1 April 2021 – present 3
16 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the construction of the Maybole bypass, and what the estimated opening date is for it.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The construction of the A77 Maybole Bypass project is progressing well and recently achieved a significant milestone on 23 July 2021, as Contractor Wills Bros Civil Engineering completed the beam installation of the third, and final, bridge on the project. A …
16 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the future use of rubber granulate as infill in artificial sports pitches.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is aware of the paper published by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the use of rubber granulates in artificial sports pitches. Also that ECHA, through its EU REACH process, has placed some restrictions on the use of rubber granu…
10 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will recover the £33.4 million removed from the value of the £43.4 million loan provided to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, as recorded in 2019-20 Transport Scotland annual accounts.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The loan was impaired on the basis of the risk of an Expected Credit Loss as we are required to do in accordance with IFRS 9. The loan has been impaired in the accounts but it has not been written off and legally the full value and its accrued interest remain…
10 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in light of the Audit Scotland's report, The 2019/20 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts, what steps it is taking to ensure that there is greater transparency regarding financial support and public funds provided to private firms such as Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Answer · Kate Forbes: We remain committed to financial transparency. Transactions are reported to Audit Scotland and disclosed in the Scottish Government’s annual accounts. Ministers also keep Parliament and Committees informed at appropriate junctures. This transparency is balanc…
10 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the bidding process for Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The process to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the private sector continues and decisions have still to be taken in relation to the prospective sale of the business. We have committed to updating Parliament on the sale process at the appropriate stage and…
10 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the planned review of the home report, due in 2021, whether the review will include a consultation and, if so, by what date that consultation will open.
Answer · Shona Robison: The work on the Home Report Review had been delayed to allow for available resources to support the Scottish Government’s continuing response to the pandemic, though preparatory work for the review has been progressed. The timetable for initiating this revi…
29 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many do-not-resuscitate orders have been put in place in each year since 2017-18.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information or data relating to the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms. As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical ci…
29 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints regarding do-not-resuscitate orders (a) it and (b) NHS Scotland received in (i) 2019-20 and (ii) 2020-21.
Answer · Maree Todd: Information relating to complaints associated with specific medical treatments such as CPR is not collected centrally. If an individual wishes to raise a complaint about NHS treatment or care this should be addressed at a local level through the NHS Complai…
29 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances a do-not-resuscitate order can be put in place.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR) guidance makes clear that the overall responsibility for making an advance decision about CPR rests with the senior clinician who has clinical responsibility for the patient during t…
29 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Good Food Nation Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In April 2020 we announced that a prioritisation of legislation was required owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. A decision was taken not to introduce the Good Food Nation Bill in the last Parliamentary session owing to the need to focus on critical legislation. …
8 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the ability of small companies to adapt their online shops to (a) charge deposits and (b) provide a takeback service under the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As set out on page 63 of the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), we do not anticipate online retailers being adversely impacted by our DRS. The BRIA is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications…
8 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the implications of the Deposit Return Scheme on SEPA’s resources.
Answer · Michael Matheson: SEPA maintains a robust programme structure to plan, track, and deliver the regulator function for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Capital and resource funding for this programme are agreed between SEPA and the Scottish Government as part of the annua…
8 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update its impact assessment on the Deposit Return Scheme, in light of the appointment of Circularity Scotland as the scheme administrator.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The impact assessments for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) published on 16 March 2020 recognised that a single scheme administrator would likely be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the scheme, in line with the Scottish Government’s preferred…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help prevent chronic stress among officers, and how much funding it has provided in each year since 2019-20 in mental health support for officers experiencing this condition.
Answer · Keith Brown: The welfare and wellbeing of Police Officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Officers and staff can access a range of services to care for their physical and mental health through the “Your Wellbeing Matters” programme provided by Poli…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many civilian staff are employed by Police Scotland, broken down by division.
Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the number of support staff employed by Police Scotland is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The information requested may be available on Police Scotland’s website, within the ‘Police Scotland Officers & Staff Quarterly Fact Sheet…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated in (a) the South Scotland parliamentary region and (b) each local authority area for the purchase of scientific equipment for schools in each year since 2012-13.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scientific equipment for use in lessons is purchased by schools and the amount schools spend on scientific equipment is not decided centrally by the Scottish Government. Scottish Government's policy towards local authorities' spending is to allow local autho…
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Police Scotland officers in U Division (Ayrshire) have been engaged daily in backroom duties in each month since April 2018.
Answer · Keith Brown: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The deployment of Police Officers and Police Staff is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.
16 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding it allocated to each NHS board to help prevent drug-related deaths in each year since 2018-19.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member the answer to question S6W-00372 on 15 June 2021. The money we provide to NHS boards is provided to fund drug and alcohol services. In 2018-2019 Health Boards received £53.8m to support the delivery of alcohol and drug services. In additi…
9 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that women who are pregnant and who have previously experienced (a) miscarriage and (b) the death of a baby (i) shortly after birth and (ii) in infancy can access the Continuity of Carer model as a matter of priority as the scheme is rolled out.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00570 on? 21 June 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
9 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many intensive treatment beds at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People have been unavailable because of a shortage of nursing staff in each month since January 2021.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not centrally held. Since September 2006, the number of Qualified Nurses & Midwives (including interns) employed by NHS Scotland has increased by 12.8%, to its current record high total of 46,259.8 WTE. Qualified Nurses and Midwives withi…
9 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of the new Makar.
8 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce water pollution on beaches, in light of a recent survey, which suggested that seven out of the 10 of the UK beaches with the highest samples of E.coli and intestinal enterococci were in Scotland.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is committed to reducing water pollution at beaches across Scotland. We do not know what water quality data range was used by Save on Energy, a price comparison website, to support its claim. They do not reflect the Scottish Environme…
7 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area were discharged when it was not fit to do so in each year since 2017-18.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: No patient should be discharged from hospital until they are clinically fit. It is the responsibility of the clinician in charge of treatment to decide when an individual patient is fit for discharge, as part of that process a multi-disciplinary team will ass…
7 Jun 2021 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that, to meet the SQA quality assurance processes, local authorities are validating teachers’ estimated grades using a school’s prior attainment data.
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated in its budget for each year since 2018-19 to road improvements in South Ayrshire, broken down by road.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Scottish Ministers, through Transport Scotland, are responsible for 2 Trunk Roads in South Ayrshire, the A77 and A78. Transport Scotland’s Operating Company for the South West Unit, Amey is allocated an overall maintenance budget for the Trunk Roads within th…
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out regarding how many additional drivers will be using the A77 in each of the next four years, and what the impact of this will be.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Amey is the operating company with responsibility for the A77. Acting on behalf of Transport Scotland, they are currently undertaking a route assessment of all junctions between Monktonhead and Smithston. Amey have recommended an approach to identifying shor…
3 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and (b) Police Scotland response times arriving to accidents on the A77 in each year since 2017-18.
Answer · Keith Brown: Responding to incidents is an operational matter for our Emergency Services and the Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on response times to specific incidents or locations.
3 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents involving (i) HGVs and (ii) other vehicles there have been on the A77 in each year since 2017-18, also broken down by section of the road that passes through South Ayrshire.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The following data is based on an HGV being defined as a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes: For A77 trunk road (from south of M77 Junction 8 to junction with A75 at Stranraer) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 (a) (i) Fatal personal injury accident involving HGV 1 0 …
3 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve work-related outcomes for referrals to the Fair Start Scotland service, and what its response is to reports that 91.71% of people referred to the service in East Ayrshire did not achieve a 26-week job outcome after their time in the programme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00457 on 14 June 2021. 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…