Tim Eagle

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe natalizumab (Tysabri) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 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-commit…

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe siponimod (Mayzent) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 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-commit…

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Rebif (beta interferon-1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 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-commit…

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe fingolimod (Gilenya) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 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-commit…

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the average customer leak duration of 4.2 days for a leak repair, in each year since 2021.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water is able to provide figures for 2022-23 onward, as a new system was introduce…

5 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the longest customer reported leak duration of 100 days for a leak repair, in each year since 2021.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water is able to provide figures for 2022-23 onward, as a new system was introduce…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment in advance of the reported end of grant funding agreements for advice services in the Western Isles on 31 March 2024, and, if this is not the case, for what reason.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: An Island Communities Impact Assessment has been carried out and will be published on the Scottish Government’s website The Scottish Government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) by the end of September 2024. The current grant funding provision for the Western I…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what multi-year funding it can provide to advice services on the Western Isles to ensure that islanders are able to continue to access free legal advice.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government’s budget for 2024-25 has maintained levels of funding for the cost of legal aid (£141.3 million for the legal aid fund). The budget is demand led and all of those who meet the eligibility criteria will have access to legal …

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of £1 million from the Nature Restoration Fund.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The reduction of £1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out to estimate how many rural jobs in the Highland and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of £1 million from the Nature Restoration Fund.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The reduction of £1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29121 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, on what date the (a) analysis of the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation and (b) Flood Resilience Strategy will be published.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Flood resilience Strategy is currently scheduled for publication by the end of this year. The report on the analysis of the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation responses is scheduled for publication on the Citizen Space website at the beginning of Nove…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29120 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, in which years it expects the remaining £5.3 million of the capital budget to manage coastal change to be allocated.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The remaining capital budget for coastal change will be distributed in 2025-26. As in all previous years, it will be allocated via a distribution method agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders via the local authority general capital grant. It is then the respon…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which non-essential advertising campaigns it plans to stop in the Highlands and Islands region.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government freeze on public sector marketing expenditure for the remainder of the year is a necessary decision to ensure we have a balanced budget.There will be some limited Scottish Government marketing activity where costs have already been com…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it currently spends annually on non-essential advertising in newspapers in the Highlands and Islands region, and what the annual reduction will be following its reported announcement that it will stop non-essential advertising.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government marketing and advertising spend is published each year on gov.scot including a breakdown by campaign and media type. Spend for 2024-25 has still to be agreed in light of the need to freeze public sector marketing expenditure and the ongoin…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of £800,000 from the Community Led Local Development collaboration fund.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The allocation of funding to Collaboration projects had not yet been determined, and was intended to be open to applications from all Local Action Groups. Scottish Government officials had therefore not yet been in a position to provide any breakdown of geogr…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge and (b) fine, in each year since 2021.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale offenders must pay their victim surcharge once a court orders it to be paid.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The imposition, collection and enforcement of a victim surcharge mirrors the arrangements for fines subject to some differences set out in the The Enforcement of Fines (Relevant Penalty) (Scotland) Order 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)The court is required to grant…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish its Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The publication dates of official statistics are routinely announced on the Official Statistics forthcoming publications calendar found on the Scottish Government website: Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). As stated on t…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when its Travelling Cabinet will next meet in the Highlands and Islands region.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In line with standard practice, the location of each Travelling Cabinet is announced in advance, including by notifying local elected representatives and local media.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to maintaining its Public Library Improvement Fund 2024, in light of reports that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has imposed emergency spending controls.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government remains committed to providing annual funding towards the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF), administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), to enable libraries to undertake a wide range of pioneering initiati…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have participated in workshops organised by (a) Scottish Union Learning and (b) Community Enterprise to tackle online scams and promote internet safety, since its announcement of funding for this purpose on 20 September 2023.

Answer · Angela Constance: Following the announcement of funding from the Scottish Government, on 20 September 2023, to build cyber resilience in communities and enable more people across the country to keep themselves safe and secure online;(a) 961 people participated in Scottish Unio…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Pathways Pre-Start Fund for applications in the 2024-25 financial year.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government launched a call for applications for the What you can apply for - Pathways Fund: form and guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) between 19th July 2024 and 30th August 2024.We welcomed bids from organisations registered in the UK, who are …

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with local authorities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding any impact of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government continues to routinely engage with local authorities across Scotland as part of ongoing work ensuring all key stakeholders such as building owners, representative organisations and professional bodies can share information and best pra…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from organisations in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for (a) a conditional discharge, (b) a fine, (c) a community sentence, (d) a suspended sentence order and (e) an immediate custodial sentence, in each yea…

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the victim surcharge broken down in this way.The victim surcharge came into force in Scotland on 25 November 2019 and applies to all persons who commit an offence on or after that date and who are subsequen…

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge, (b) fine, including a Youth Rehabilitation Order or Referral Order, and (c) custodial sentence, in each year since 2021.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.

4 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many victim surcharge orders were (a) paid on time, (b) paid late and (c) not paid at all by criminals in each year since 2021.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: This information is available in the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (“SCTS”) quarterly fines data publication, found on the Official Statistics section of the SCTS website. Official Statistics | Scottish Courts (scotcourts.gov.uk)

2 Sep 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Midwives' reported statement that fewer than a third of student midwives due to graduate in 2024 have been offered posts by NHS Scotland.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of student midwives recruited who have not been offered posts in NHS Scotland.Scottish Government officials have been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job o…