Kezia Dugdale

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what medium- to long-term help it can provide to help people in Malawi who have lost their home following the recent cyclone.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government remains committed to working in partnership with the Government of Malawi to support the most vulnerable communities in Malawi and to achieve the UN Global Goals. Under the Global Goals Partnership Agreement signed in April 2018, our t…

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the Malawi Government following the recent cyclone, and how it can encourage people to support the relief effort.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: In light of the recent catastrophic weather events the Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development has written to the President of Malawi to offer condolence and support on behalf of the Scottish Government. Scottish Government officials are…

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how aid from Scotland is being deployed in Malawi.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government has provided a total of £325,000 to support relief efforts in the areas affected by Cyclone Idai, which include Malawi. The Scottish Government initially provided funding of £175,000 to Strathclyde University to support emergency floo…

21 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent cyclone, whether it has plans to increase the aid it offers to Malawi, and how it can ensure that this is spent on immediate relief measures to provide food, medicine and shelter.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government continues to provide funding through a range of Scottish based organisations who work with their Malawian partners on the ground. These include registered charities, universities, local authorities, NHS Boards, private sector companies…

13 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will fulfil its commitment to keep together siblings who are looked-after; what legislation it plans to (a) amend or (b) introduce as part of this process, and by what date this will be in place.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to making our care system the best that it can be. We are considering how best to use law and practice to make sure that more children are kept together, either physically, or through the proactive encouragement of contact…

13 Mar 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the housing minister aims to improve the transparency, accessibility and reporting of home adaptation funding.

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contracts it (a) holds and (b) has held with Allen Construction, broken down by the (i) value and (ii) purpose of each.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Government holds no contracts with Allen Construction and has no record of any previous contracts.

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices provide intrauterine device (IUD) fittings in-house.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) does not hold this information as they are unable to determine whether or not GP practices fit Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) in-house or if this is conducted elsewhere. The Prescription Cost Analysis publication https://www.…

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) sexual health services and (b) intrauterine device (IUD) fittings.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22072 on 25 March 2019. 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/…

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it incentivises GP practices to provide intrauterine device (IUD) fittings.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Practices are incentivised through Local Enhanced Services to provide intrauterine device (IUD) fittings and subdermal implants. The Scottish Government provides the funding for these local initiatives.

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some people in the NHS Lothian area have been advised that they must wait at least eight to 10 weeks for an intrauterine device (IUD) fitting. 

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We are aware that NHS Lothian is currently experiencing some capacity issues with appointments for the intrauterine device, and officials are in communication with the Board regarding this matter. The provision of long acting reversible contraception (LARC) …

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the Gender Reassignment Protocol, and what additional services and options it plans to consider.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Consideration is currently being given to whether there is a need to review the Gender Reassignment Protocol and if so, how to progress this work.

12 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress is being made in increasing the role of NHS National Services Scotland in negotiating the costs of medicines, in light of the findings of the Montgomery Review of Access to New Medicines.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has been discussing with public sector partners how the process by which new medicines are considered by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the role of NHS National Services Scotland can develop to achieve better value for money whe…

6 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received from the UK Government to prepare for Brexit, and how much of this has been spent.

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce childcare costs.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Children and Young People Act 2014 made up to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) per year available for all 3 and 4 year olds and extended funded ELC to around a quarter of 2 year olds; those we believe will benefit most . From August …

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to parents living in absolute poverty who have (a) given up work, (b) turned down a job and (c) not been able to take up education or training.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Through our range of devolved employability programmes, the Scottish Government is keen to support anyone who wants to work and who is able to work to secure meaningful employment. Those eligible for support can engage with our employability programmes, inclu…

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making in increasing free childcare from 600 to 1,140 hours per year by 2020, and whether it expects to meet this target on time.

Answer · Maree Todd: The ELC Joint Delivery Board, co-chaired by the Minister for Children and Young People and the COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, oversees progress across all aspects of the 1140 hours expansion. The work of the Board is informed by regular sub…

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls in its paper, 2018 First Report and Recommendations.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government welcomes publication of the First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girl's (NACWG) first end of year report on 25 January 2019. We will give the NACWG's recommendations full and careful consideration before publishing a…

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the flexibility of free child care hours for parents in work.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are expanding the statutory entitlement to funded early learning and childcare (ELC) for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds to 1140 hours a year from August 2020. Our multi-year funding package will see annual revenue investment in early learni…

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many people will transition to public transport in light of its decision to tax workplace parking.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Workplace Parking Levy will be a discretionary power for local authorities and would depend on how the scheme is introduced at a local level by a local authority should it choose to use these discretionary powers.

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set to increase the number of female forensic medical examiners; what progress it is making in achieving this, and by what date the target will be met.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In December 2018, Her Majesty’s Inspection of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) published a progress review of recommendations it had made in March 2017, to improve forensic medical examination services for victims of sexual crime. The Chief Medical Officer fo…

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has allocated to monitor the use of social media by people who are on parole to ensure that they do not breach their parole conditions, and how such monitoring is carried out.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The monitoring and supervision of people on parole is the responsibility of Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) departments and is met from the annual Scottish Government allocation of grant funding for CJSW to each local authority.

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines a "victim" in the context of a crime.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government wishes to ensure that appropriate support, information, advice and assistance is provided as required to a wide range of victims of crime. No particular definition is therefore generally applied. This reflects the legal position in Sco…

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the additional £1.1 million that it has announced to allow rape trials to start at the earliest opportunity also applies to attempted rape.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: It is a Scottish Government priority to find ways to improve the experience of victims within the criminal justice system and reduce the trauma associated with the court process. We recognise the devastating impact that all sexual assaults can have, and are c…

6 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in fast-tracking rape cases through the court process.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is committed to improving the way that sexual offences are investigated and prosecuted, and to reduce the time which it takes for all cases involving serious sexual offences, including rape, to progress t…

5 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns raised by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations regarding funding for home adaptions being frozen for the last seven years.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Most funding for adaptations comes from Health and Social Care Partnerships. Funding provided directly to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) has been protected in 2019-20 to assist them to deliver adaptations for older and disabled tenants. It is for individu…

5 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on working with the integrated joint boards to establish a uniform expenditure process for each of these boards to assist it in recording a comprehensive breakdown of spend.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Integration Authorities are working collaboratively to develop an overall framework for financial reporting to support the work of Scottish Government. This framework will continue to be developed during 2018-19.

5 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given to the Local Government and Communities Committee on 16 May 2018 by the Minister for Local Government and Housing, whether it will provide an update on how much the integrated joint boards are spending on home adaptations.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: As reporting procedures still have to be agreed with the IJBs we are unable to provide an update at this time.  

5 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it channels into home adaptations, and what its position is on whether additional resources are required.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Housing Statistics for Scotland details the total number and the cost of housing adaptations delivered by each local authority. Information on Scottish Government-funded housing adaptations carried out by Registered Social Landlords is provided to SPICe, as …

5 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ageing population, what analysis it has carried out regarding how having access to housing adaptions that allow people to remain at home could save the NHS money and represent effective preventative spend.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has not made an analysis of savings achieved by having access to housing adaptations. However we are aware of research undertaken by others both in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK that considers the evidence for potential savings to h…