Kezia Dugdale

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a treatment time guarantee for eating disorder diagnosis and treatment.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Treatment for Eating Disorders are not currently recorded within the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG). This is because patients accessing these services are likely to undertake psychological therapy and significant counselling as part of their treatment. This w…

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the closure of the ANNETT service, what funding it is providing to NHS Lothian to support people who have eating disorders.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The ANNETT service was renamed to The Cullen Centre Community Team in 2015. We are not aware of any current plans to close the service.

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the NHS in England and Wales regarding best practice treatment for eating disorders.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has not held direct discussions with the NHS in England and Wales on best practice for eating disorders. However, we are aware of their approach and carefully monitor its impact and performance against their waiting times targets.

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a national strategy for eating disorders.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a national strategy for eating disorders. However we are firmly committed to further improving the support available for people living with an eating disorder in Scotland. During Eating Disorder Awa…

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that each NHS board makes available intensive treatment beds for people with eating disorders.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is clear in our engagement with NHS Boards that patients should be assessed according to their clinical need. We expect Boards to ensure that their services are planned efficiently so that patients have swift and safe access to the …

9 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the eating disorder charity, BEAT, and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Minister for Mental Health formally met a number of eating disorder stakeholders, including Beat, on 15 March 2018 at a roundtable meeting. A range of issues were discussed such as the formation of an eating disorders Managed Clinical Network, the needs o…

19 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of tax flight since the introduction of the new income tax rates.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I take the issue of behavioural effects and loss of tax revenue very seriously. That is why I have asked the Council of Economic Advisers to consider any potential behaviour effects beyond the work they have done on the Top Rate of Tax. Our tax policies striv…

14 May 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently released NASUWT survey on teachers’ mental health.

7 May 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22666 by Michael Matheson on 7 May 2019, which set out the rail sector's contribution to the economy, what estimate it has made of this contribution if trains ran on time.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The previous report referred to in question S5W-22666 estimated the economic contribution of rail in Scotland in 2016. The Scottish Government has continued its significant investment programme for Scotland’s Railways. This has seen the introduction of new in…

30 Apr 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some tattoo parlours are refusing services to customers who disclose their HIV status.

16 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21461 by Kevin Stewart on 19 February 2019, how the framework will establish and inform reporting to help ensure that a Scotland-wide picture can be assessed.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: As of 2018-19, quarterly reports on the financial position of Integration Authorities are published on the Scottish Government website.

16 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21457 by Kevin Stewart on 19 February 2019, how residents and owners in non-registered social landlord (RSL) properties can find out about the grants and support that are available.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 requires local authorities to prepare a statement of assistance detailing the forms of assistance provided, including adaptations and the provision of grants, and the criteria for providing assistance for home owners and privat…

16 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what most recent assessment it has made of the impact of Abellio ScotRail's performance on the economy, and when it will next carry out another one.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The ScotRail Franchise plays a key role towards the economic wellbeing of the Scottish economy. A report which was published in 2016 for Transport Scotland (The Oxera report) estimated that the rail sector’s contribution to Scotland’s economy included:contrib…

10 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to (a) breast augmentation, (b) facial feminisation surgery and (c) other treatments at gender identity clinics.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Division (NSD) commission and manage National Managed Clinical Networks (NMCNs) in Scotland, which aim to foster improved standards and quality in healthcare. These NMCNs include the National Gender Identity…

9 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement the reasonable adjustment duty, described in the Equality Act 2010, for those with invisible disabilities who cannot tolerate loud music in shops and other public spaces, to protect them from unlawful discrimination.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits both direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics, …

9 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times under the Equality Act 2010 the Equality and Human Rights Commission has challenged the policy and practice of playing of loud music by service suppliers in Scotland, which can cause significant disadvantage to people with invisible disabilities, such as hearing problems, …

Answer · Christina McKelvie: This is a matter for The Equality and Human Rights Commission which is an independent body and holds its own records on cases where it has taken action. The information requested is therefore not held by the Scottish Government.

3 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to regulate the promotion of protected trust deeds.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government has no powers to regulate the promotion of Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs) by firms or advice organisations. However, if the Scottish Government becomes aware of any promotional material that contains factual inaccuracies or misrepresenta…

3 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the law regarding protected trust deeds and the powers that creditors have for recovery.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a review of Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs) and consulting on proposals which are aimed at addressing some concerns identified with the operation of PTDs. This includes potential measures that promote the granting…

3 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that credit unions can recover debts from individuals in (a) protected trust deeds and (b) sequestration.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Unsecured debts due to credit unions attract the same rights as all other unsecured creditors and will rank equally with such creditors in both sequestration and Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs). Creditors are entitled to receive a dividend against accepted claim…

3 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it regulates the administration fees for protected trust deeds.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: A trustee under a Protect Trust Deed (PTD) can receive a fixed administration fee and an additional fee based on a percentage of funds collected during the trust deed. Legislative reforms introduced in 2013 make it a statutory requirement that these fixed fee…

1 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how sub-contracted staff working on public projects can raise grievances with the firms that it has awarded the contracts to.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Employers must by law set out a grievance procedure and share it in writing with all employees. It must include who the employee should contact about a grievance and how to contact this person. Within the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 regulatio…

1 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that firms that it has awarded contracts to pay their sub-contractors on time, and what action it takes if they fail to do so.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is committed to paying our contractors promptly and ensuring that they do the same with their subcontractors. We include a standard clause in our contracts requiring prompt payment of valid invoices within 30 days down the supply chai…

1 Apr 2019 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support integration joint boards with funding shortfalls.

28 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Accountant in Bankruptcy to discuss trust deeds.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) is an Executive Agency of Scottish Government which falls within my portfolio responsibility. I meet officials from AiB on a regular basis to discuss a full range of issues connected to the Agency’s work, including trust deeds, …

28 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors trust deed administrators.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government, through Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), has statutory powers to supervise the performance of trustees acting under Protected Trust Deeds in relation to the functions conferred on them by the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016 or by any ot…

28 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to credit unions that experience difficulties with protected trust deeds.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), the Scottish Government Agency with responsibility for the supervision of Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs), engages regularly with stakeholders and credit unions are represented through the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd …

27 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on rail passengers being charged peak fares when they have to stand.

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many breaches of unsuitable temporary accommodation orders there have been, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government collect information on the number of placements that have been in breach of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order from Local Authorities via the HL3 data collection. The most recent published data presents the number of breaches, broken d…

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list those occasions that cabinet secretaries or ministers visited hostels, bed and breakfasts or other temporary accommodation since May 2016, broken down by (a) minister, (b) site visited and (c) date.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: All ministerial engagements are listed on the Scottish Government website, which can be accessed by using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/search/?q=Ministerial+engagements Please see following table which lists the occasions that Cabinet Secretari…

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the City of Edinburgh Council to have a rapid rehousing transition plan.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The City of Edinburgh Council submitted the first iteration of its Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan to the Scottish Government in December 2018. Scottish Government officials recently completed a review of the rapid rehousing transition plans of all 32 local …