Parliamentary questions
Maurice Golden
1,697 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25597 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, in light of it stating that "information...on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is not available", how it is also able to state that "1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health …
Answer · Maree Todd: In question S6W-25597 part of the question asked: To ask the Scottish Government…. What proportion of [CAMHS] patients have started treatment within 10 weeks of referral…. In each NHS Board for the last three years Data on patients starting treatment is div…
8 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25599 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, what the current trajectory and timeline are for clearing long waits for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in NHS Tayside.
Answer · Maree Todd: Boards are being commissioned to produce updated trajectories for 2024-25 and these are expected to be submitted throughout April and May. In the most recent data published on 5 March 2024, covering the quarter ending December 2023, Tayside had zero patients…
8 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether jobs involving traditional building skills are included within the inclusive definition of green jobs.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The green jobs definition developed by the Universities of Warwick and Strathclyde, co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, does include occupations relevant to traditional building skills including stonemasonry and related trades. This information can b…
8 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any demand for traditional building skills to support its net zero policies.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Last November, the Scottish Government welcomed the net zero pathfinder report published by Skills Development Scotland which assessed demand and skills issues across a range of sectors including construction. This information can be found here: https://www.…
8 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that apprenticeships in traditional building skills are equally accessible across all geographic regions of Scotland.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 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…
6 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25286 by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, and in light of the specific commitment given by the then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in a letter to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, dated 24…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: In 2021, we published an updated Climate Change Plan which covers the period 2018 – 2032. The updated plan includes over 200 policies across all eight sectors and proposals to drive future emissions reductions. Since publication of the update to the Climate …
28 Feb 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of assaults by pupils in schools.
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many dogs that have been taken in by enforcement agencies in each of the last five years were reunited with their owners.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government does not routinely hold this information as it is a matter for the relevant enforcement agency.
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many dogs that have been taken in by enforcement agencies, in each of the last five years, were (a) microchipped, (b) not microchipped and (c) microchipped but without up-to-date details.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: As per my response to S6W-25811 on 8 March 2024 the Scottish Government does not hold this information, it is a matter for the relevant enforcement agency. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search f…
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) microchipping notices have been issued in relation to a microchipping breach and (b) fines have been issued to non-compliant owners under the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Under The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 enforcement, and how this is undertaken across territories is a matter for Local Authorities and relevant enforcement agencies. It is within…
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016, with particular consideration given to enforcement, consistency of processes and punishments across local authorities.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government does not currently have plans to review The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24987 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what reasons were provided by schools for not taking part in the project.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland advise that the limited participation was likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further information would be available from Zero Waste Scotland.
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24995 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what its position is on whether an updated estimate of the cost of food waste would be useful in illustrating any benefits for households of reducing food waste.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Based on 2021 UK food waste levels, the Waste Resources Action Programme has highlighted that food waste costs a four-person household around £1,000 a year. Available evidence indicates that reductions in food waste lead to cost-savings for households and bus…
23 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24990 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, whether it will provide details of the food waste baseline provided to schools.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland advise that the information gathered was for individual schools’ use only and cannot be used as an overarching baseline of school food waste data.
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of long child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting times have been raised by the public with (a) each NHS board and (b) the Scottish Government, in each of the last three years.
Answer · Maree Todd: Information on enquiries to Boards about CAMHS is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Each NHS Board in Scotland has their own system in place for managing complaints raised by the public. The Scottish Government records and processes enquiries an…
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff have (a) been recruited and (b) left the health service, in each NHS board in each of the last three years.
Answer · Maree Todd: Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) workforce data is publicly available in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Turas Data Intelligence at: NHS Scotland Workforce Data . This also provides data on staff joining and leaving rates by each Health…
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what tailored support it is providing to NHS Tayside, in addition to headline funding, to reduce any long waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer given to question S6W-25599 on? 4 March 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-com…
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been advised by NHS Tayside that child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting times are expected to worsen.
Answer · Maree Todd: Scottish Government Ministers and officials are aware of the current challenges faced by NHS Tayside in meeting waiting time standards set out for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). NHS Tayside are receiving additional support which include…
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been invested in clearing any long waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and how any such targeted support has affected waiting times, in each NHS board in each of the last three years.
Answer · Maree Todd: The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 refers to the support for CAMHS included in the £120m Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund. In total, £34m of the Fund was invested in 2021/22 to improve access to and quality of CAMHS services. This fund was superseded in …
15 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS); what proportion of patients have waited more than a year on CAMHS waiting lists; what proportion of patients have started treatment within 10 weeks of referral, and how many CAMHS specialists hav…
Answer · Maree Todd: CAMHS Referrals Information on patients referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is as follows. The data is not currently available for quarter October 2023 – December 2023. As such the following figures for 2023 only cover January – S…
8 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed introduction of a similar ban in Scotland, what meetings (a) it has and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the French government and (ii) other relevant stakeholders in France regarding banning the disposal of unsold goods.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Neither the Scottish Government nor its agencies have had meetings with the French government or other relevant stakeholders in France regarding banning the disposal of unsold goods. Officials have, however, met a representative of the Ellen McArthur Foundati…
8 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most recent list, broken down by local authority, of projects funded, or confirmed to be funded if not already begun, through the Recycling Improvement Fund.
Answer · Lorna Slater: To date, 37 projects from 25 local authorities have been approved for funding through the Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) and the Fund’s Small Grant Scheme. A list of local authorities and projects approved through the RIF is available on the Zero Waste Sco…
6 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importation to Scotland of nuclear energy generated elsewhere in the UK.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Security of electricity supply is a reserved matter and is delivered by the National Energy System Operator (ESO) across the whole of Great Britain under regulation from Ofgem. We recognise the contribution that nuclear generation makes to the current energy…
6 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution of the nuclear industry to Scotland's economy.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Independent analysis procured by the Scottish Government for the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan estimated that in 2021 there were 5,338 jobs (direct and indirect) and £918m GVA (direct and indirect) in the nuclear power electricity generation …
6 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24723 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 February 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the maximum weight of cars that each ferry in the CalMac fleet is able to transport.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This information is not available in this format, as it would be dependent on the depend on the number and type of traffic, on any one particular sailing.
6 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it currently supports to provide those in the heritage restoration sector with opportunities to develop expertise and skills in climate resilience.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: One of the key priorities identified in Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s revised historic environment strategy which was commissioned by Scottish Ministers, is “Delivering the transition to net zero.” Actions identified to deliver this priority include improv…
5 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government Office for the Internal Market (OIM) regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, and whether it has asked the OIM if the proposals in the Bill for (a) restricting the disposal of unsold goods and (b) charges for single-use items coul…
Answer · Lorna Slater: In my letter of 18 January 2024 to the Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport committee (see at this link Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity (parliament.scot) ), I confirmed that Scottish Government officials regularly meet…
5 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that has been carried out to develop circular economy roadmaps for the sectors that are listed in its updated Climate Change Plan, alongside the development of a waste route map.
Answer · Lorna Slater: In the updated Climate Change Plan, we undertook to embed circular economy principles into our wider green recovery, prioritising areas with the biggest opportunities: construction; agriculture/food and drink; energy and renewables; procurement; skills and ed…
2 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much food waste has been produced in Scotland in each year since 2016.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Due to the complexity of measuring food waste, annual estimates are not produced. Significant progress has been made to improve food waste data, including: the development of digital waste tracking, due to go live in 2025; and the publication of Zero Waste Sc…
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many personnel trained to handle XL Bully-type dogs Police Scotland currently has available, and what additional resources are being made available to train more, in light of the decision announced on 18 January 2024 to introduce new regulations.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Police Scotland has advised that all Police Scotland Dog Handlers receive training in dangerous dogs as part of their initial training course. There are currently 74 Handlers/Instructors across Police Scotlan…