Sharon Dowey

11 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ending of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot, what alternative incentives it is considering to encourage the use of public transport over car travel.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I have instructed ScotRail to offer a 12 month 20% reduction on the price of weekly, monthly and annual season tickets also to amend the Flexipass terms so it offers 12 return journeys for the same price as 10.Passengers will be able to make significant savin…

11 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the past five years, how many people have faced consequences of any cosmetic procedures gone wrong due to the reported lack of regulation of beauticians carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and what the cost has been for the NHS to treat any issues associated with this.

Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone that has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure which has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record that this was the result of that procedure as there is n…

11 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the costs for affected individuals resulting from the ending of the universal Winter Heating Payment for pensioners.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The UK Government’s decision to restrict eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments was taken without consultation with the Scottish Government This decision is estimated to result in a reduction in this year’s Block Grant Adjustment (BGA) provided to t…

11 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of crime is estimated to have gone undetected by the police between June 2023 and June 2024.

Answer · Angela Constance: By its nature, it is difficult to estimate the volume of crime in Scotland which doesn’t come to the attention of the police. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) asks victims of crime whether they reported the incident to the police (or any oth…

27 Aug 2024 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported significant increase in shoplifting recorded in Scotland.

26 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are expected to not havecompleted their safety training regardingthe Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 as of theend of August 2024.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: It is for Police Scotland to report on, and determine, training procedures for their officers. In August they published an update on hate crime guidance and training. Police Scotland have previously provided assurances that officers are trained, have sufficie…

26 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police road traffic officers were employed by Police Scotland in each of the past five calendar years.

Answer · Angela Constance: The deployment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, the Scottish Government does not hold this information.The Scottish Government has provided a record £36m towards road safety in this year’s Scottish Budget. This funding ha…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the further education sector in advance of any potential industrial action.

Answer · Graeme Dey: I met with the employers and EIS-FELA on Monday 19 August 2024 and welcome the significant efforts of both sides that day to provisionally agree a revised pay deal.I also welcome EIS-FELA suspending planned strike action whilst it ballots members on the revis…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Work continues apace on the Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme, developed in light of the recommendations of James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape and the Scottish Government’s own report on the Post-school educati…

29 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce legislation equivalent to the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 to ban Botox-style injections and fillers for under-18s in Scotland.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Potential age restrictions for non-surgical cosmetic procedures are one of a number of issues that are being considered during the scoping work that Scottish Government officials are currently undertaking with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare pr…

29 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, of Scotland’s beauty industry, in light of reports that “Scots gangsters flog dangerous fillers and weight loss jabs ‘that could kill’ as they launder cash through beauty industry”.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The implications of the use of counterfeit and unlicensed beauty products is one of a number of issues under consideration as we consider further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.Scottish Government officials met with Police Scotland and Environ…

29 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to regulate the beauty sector in Scotland, and whether it will provide details of the timescale for when any (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation that seeks to achieve such regulation will be laid before the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government officials are currently undertaking scoping work with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty ind…

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have provided NatureScot with annual deer cull information in each of the past five years.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Five local authorities have supplied NatureScot with cull return information in the past five years.

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities in Scotland currently have a published deer management plan.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many local authorities oversee the deer management that is undertaken on local authority grounds, and how many are actively involved in decisions regarding such management.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: We are aware of the following five local authorities overseeing and being actively involved in deer management:East DunbartonshireWest LothianAberdeen CityHighland CouncilPerth & Kinross

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities currently have a published deer management plan that is available for the public to view.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide clarity on the process that owners should follow to remove their dog from the XL Bully exemption list, in the event that their dog is latterly identified not to be an XL Bully-type.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Any person with an exemption certificate can seek for it to be withdrawn by the Scottish Government. This route involves writing to the Scottish Government asking for a certificate to be withdrawn. There is no fee payable. Any person with an exemption certifi…

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is being given to XL Bully dog owners who are experiencing domestic abuse and are unable to seek support from fostering services, such as Dogs Trust Freedom, which provides fostering for those fleeing domestic abuse.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: While the XL Bully dog has been added to the list of designated prohibited dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, any individual XL Bully dog will not be classed as prohibited where the owner obtains a certificate of exemption that enables them to legally ow…

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is being given to XL Bully dogs whose owners have been advised that they should not be neutered on veterinary grounds.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: As a condition of receiving and retaining a valid exemption certificate , the owner of the XL Bully must arrange to have their dog neutered. Male dogs must be castrated and female dogs must be spayed. For dogs 18 months or older as at 31 July 2024, evidence …

12 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27858 by Natalie Don on 5 June 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the stated £5.3 million that "was provided to Scottish Government-led national policy delivery for 12 specific projects that are transforming how families are supported".

Answer · Natalie Don: The following Scottish Government-led national policy delivery projects received a total funding of £5.3 million as follows: Project name 2022-3 2023-24 Aberlour Mother and Child Units £394,613 £1,023,506 Creating equitable outcomes and accessible path…

5 Jun 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that replicating the non-domestic rates relief available to businesses in England would have in Ayrshire, including in relation to job creation.

4 Jun 2024 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the review commissioned by the security team, in light of the protest that took place on 21 February 2024.

3 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the refreshed Skills Investment Plan for Scotland's Historic Environment sector, which was published on 1 April 2024, what additional investment has been allocated to progress the priority areas identified, particularly to provide career opportunities in the South of Scotlan…

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government and the Historic Environment sector cannot achieve the aims of the Skills Investment Plan alone. Public, private, and third sectors, private owners, and communities across the country all have a role to play in delivering the Skills In…

29 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Creative Scotland’s funding will be increased during the next financial year. 

28 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any ongoing skills reviews currently in progress for which the Minister for Higher and Further Education is responsible.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The only review currently in progress for which I am responsible is the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD). The review will consider the extent to which CLD is contributing to deliver positive outcomes in line with Scottish Govern…

28 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented any of the recommendations in its report, Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation.

Answer · Graeme Dey: There is significant progress being made to reform and improve key areas of the post-school learning system covered by James Withers’ review Fit for the Future, including on apprenticeships, skills planning and simplification of the funding body landscape. I …

23 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) an update on how it has spent the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund to date and (b) a breakdown of its proposed spending plans for the fund in the current financial year.

Answer · Natalie Don: In 2022-23 and 2023-24 over £70m of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) was invested by the Scottish Government to deliver a transformational change in holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time. T…

22 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to increase uptake of breast screening to reach the achievable 80% target in all NHS board areas.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27833 on 10 June 2024. 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…

22 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to improve uptake rates for women living in Scotland’s most deprived communities.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2022-23 report confirms that a greater percentage of women experiencing socio-economic deprivation have attended screening for the three year period 2020-23 when compared to the last reporting period. While …

17 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it plans to provide to Ayrshire College, in light of reports that the college will be required to find an additional £882,000 in revenue savings in order to be able to continue to be financially sustainable, following the reported policy change regarding the tra…

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government and SFC are very conscious of the challenge colleges face. With regards to the specific issue raised, we are working collaboratively to understand the emerging impact and consider if a solution for 2024-25, as well as the longer term, …