Parliamentary questions
Rhoda Grant
2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people who (a) live on or (b) have direct links to Scottish islands applied to be on the board of David MacBrayne Ltd in the most recent recruitment process.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05073 on 7 January 2022. 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-committe…
9 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for places on the board of David MacBrayne Ltd were received in the most recent recruitment process.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Following a fair and open recruitment exercise Scottish Ministers have appointed a Chair and three non-executive Directors to the Board of David MacBrayne Limited. Analysis of the recruitment exercise confirms that a total of 52 applications were received, a…
8 Dec 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to creative industries in rural areas, including in relation to young people wishing to pursue a career in this sector.
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many care homes in NHS Highland are allowing new admissions.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of care homes allowing new admissions in NHS Highland.
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the pressure that existing NHS staff are reportedly under in carrying out their day-to-day responsibilities, how it is ensuring that mandatory staff training is provided to newly recruited staff.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Staff Governance Standard, which has legislative underpinning, requires all health Boards to demonstrate that they are ensuring that staff are appropriately trained and developed and that resources, including time and funding, are appropriately allocated …
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that adverse risk to patient care is being avoided in NHS Highland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Safety is at the heart of everything we do and the Scottish Government wants everyone in Scotland to receive the best possible care and treatment from our health and care services. Along with NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government has a shared vision for an op…
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is aware of reported ongoing staffing and patient care concerns within NHS Highland, and what support it is providing to ensure that any such issues are being addressed.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government officials are continually engaging with NHS Boards to identify particular areas of concern. This includes the gathering of daily capacity and weekly absence reporting from all territorial Health Boards. Through this ongoing engagement, NH…
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the successful recruitment and retention of NHS staff who are (a) newly in post and (b) established staff members.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government recognises the scale of the challenge facing NHS Scotland and is working closely with partners to accelerate domestic and international recruitment to Scotland. On 5 October, I announced a £300 million investment in health and social c…
1 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to respond to the reported staffing shortages and concerns at NHS Highland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Decisions on local staffing requirements and recruitment are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards. However, Scottish Government officials are continually engaging with NHS Boards to identify particular areas of concern. NHS Highland advise that they, …
25 Nov 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve safety on the A9 between Inverness and Tore, and whether it will consider lowering the speed limit on the road to 50mph.
Answer · Graeme Dey: We are progressing an options appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance to identify potential improvements on the A9 between North Kessock Junction and Tore Roundabout. The latest report on this appraisal is expected to be published by 10 December…
16 Nov 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has provided to support a multidisciplinary approach to psychological support for people experiencing domestic violence.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is investing significant levels of funding in frontline services to support survivors of domestic abuse. This includes funding of over £1 million (in 2019-22) to Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline, which provides su…
16 Nov 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting people who have experienced domestic violence during the pandemic, when usual sources of support and services have been unavailable.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises the effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on women looking to flee violence at home. That is why over the past 2 years we have invested an additional £10 million to allow rapid re-design of services and address backlogs,…
10 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve ferry services to island communities.
28 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that (a) there are enough registered Green Deal installers in every part of Scotland and (b) small businesses and sole traders do not lose out when bidding for this work.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: We support suppliers including Green Deal installers through our Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme, administered by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The programme has been running since 2013 and provides assistance and support for installers and other s…
26 Oct 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to NHS boards that are currently experiencing pressures ahead of winter.
5 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has, with the consent of the Treasury, authorised in law all 1995 officer transition members to have their closed 1995 scheme benefits calculated using (a) higher or (b) lower pensionable pay from connected CARE scheme service.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Under the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2015, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 3 March 2015 with the consent of Her Majesty’s Treasury, members of the 1995 section of the NHS Su…
20 Sep 2021 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps are being taken to ensure that women who have endometriosis are diagnosed within a year.
8 Sep 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the legislation on commercial sexual exploitation during the current parliamentary session.
1 Sep 2021 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to increase capacity on the ferries on the west coast routes.
13 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to close any railway ticket offices, and, if so, which ones.
Answer · Graeme Dey: This is an operational matter for ScotRail and any changes to ticket office provision should follow an appropriate consultation process. It is worth noting that the last review of ScotRail ticket office opening hours took place around 30 years ago in 1991. S…
13 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering road equivalent tariff (RET) on the Scrabster-Stromness ferry route, and what the timeframe is for implementing this.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Officials are continuing work to explore options to introduce RET on all Northern Isles routes. This work was rightly paused in March 2020 while resources were pivoted to respond to the Covid pandemic. Work has however now resumed and we will provide updates …
27 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to public bodies regarding the permissibility of specifying community benefits that will be expected to be delivered as part of the terms of fulfilling public procurement contracts or agreements.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Community benefits are increasingly included in public procurement contracts. As a result, thousands of employment and training opportunities have been achieved, contributing to national and local outcomes and achieving a positive social impact. In 2016, t…
27 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is beneficial to specify in the tendering process for public procurement contracts or agreements the community benefits that will be expected to be delivered.
Answer · Ivan McKee: We believe that including relevant and proportionate community benefit requirements in public contracts is beneficial and encourages suppliers to deliver wider social benefits. While there is room for innovation in the delivery of community benefits, our pol…
27 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact EU state aid requirements continue to have in Scotland, and what guidance it has issued to public bodies regarding this.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Following the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 December 2020, the EU State aid regime was effectively revoked from UK law from 1 January 2021 and therefore ceased to apply in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Scottish Government continue to work under the interim …
27 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce endometriosis treatment waiting times during the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan (WHP) will be published within the first 100 days of this new government and includes a number of actions to improve access to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis. We are wo…
27 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Women’s Health Plan.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Women’s Health Pan will be published by the end of this month, August 2021, and within the first 100 days of the new session of the Parliament.
23 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report by Deloitte on the governance of the Crofting Commission.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The responsibility for publishing the Deloitte audit report of the Crofting Commission lies with Audit Scotland. Officials have advised that the report will be in the public domain in November 2021.
22 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of households in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority it estimates will access superfast broadband through its voucher scheme.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The following table provides a breakdown of the number of properties across all 32 Scottish local authorities that are eligible for vouchers through the Reaching 100% (R100) Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) as at 22 July 2021 ( these figures are subje…
22 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many households in each local authority it estimates (a) currently and (b) will access broadband through (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the superfast broadband voucher scheme and (iii) commercial coverage.
Answer · Kate Forbes: As of 22 July 2021: a) the number of households in each local authority that can access broadband as a direct result of (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the main voucher (MVS – worth up to £5,000) and the interim voucher (IVS – worth up to £400) portions of the …
22 Jul 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether CalMac is responsible for reimbursing members of the public for accommodation costs lost as a result of cancelled ferry services on the CalMac network, and, if not, what its position is on who is responsible for reimbursing such costs.
Answer · Graeme Dey: In accordance with CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) terms and conditions, and Passengers' Rights Regulations, concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway, the operator does not have liability to reimburse passengers for unused a…