Alison Johnstone

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the promotion of unhealthy items, such as food and drink that is high in fat, sugar or salt, by (a) supermarkets and (b) manufacturers through (i) marketing and advertising, (ii) online advertising and targeting and (iii) loyalty schemes, and what disc…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: To inform Scottish Government policy development, NHS Health Scotland published ‘Rapid evidence review - restriction of price promotions’ in October 2017. This paper provides an overview of evidence on the impact of HFSS promotions on consumer purchasing and …

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Macmillan Cancer Support’s call for banks to have a duty of care for vulnerable customers.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government welcomes Macmillan Cancer Support's 'Banking on Change' campaign, highlighting the financial impact faced by people affected by cancer, and encourages all banks to consider how best to support their customers through diagnosis and trea…

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason funding for the community Links Workers programme will be distributed using the National Resource Allocation Formula, and what consideration it gave to targeting all of the country's most deprived areas on an equal basis.

Answer · Shona Robison:  As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Integration Authorities (IAs), NHS Boards, the British Medical Association and the Scottish Government, published in November 2017, IAs are responsible for working with GPs, the third sector and oth…

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06622 by Aileen Campbell on 2 March 2017, in light of its commitment to increase "the number of community Links Workers in disadvantaged areas", whether it will provide an update on when it expects all 250 community Links Workers to be recruited to …

Answer · Shona Robison: The Community Links Workers programme is one of the key services that, in future, will be provided to patients in GP practices or clusters of practices under the new GP contract. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between Integration Authorit…

21 Mar 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish National Investment Bank will have the power to refuse to lend to commercially-viable businesses that it considers operate against its public-purpose missions.

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will respond to the consultation on improving the protection of wild mammals.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14811 on 8 March 2018. 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/2…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that applicants and claimants who (a) do not have internet access or (b) lack digital skills will not be digitally excluded from the new Scottish social security system.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Our aim is to design an inclusive service where the needs of our clients are at the heart of everything we do. This commitment will be given legislative underpinning by the recent amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill placing a duty on Ministers to…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling digital exclusion.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The latest figures show that digital participation in Scotland has risen from 62.7% in 2007 to 82% in 2016. Since 2007, the gap in internet access between the lowest and highest income brackets has decreased from 67% to 30% in 2016. Although good progress is …

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is giving to local authorities to provide automatic awards of school clothing grants to eligible families.

Answer · John Swinney: The automation of benefits is a matter for local authorities to decide, taking into account local needs and priorities. We are aware that some local authorities, such as Glasgow City Council are already operating an automated system for paying benefits, inclu…

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported concerns that school uniform policies that require families to purchase branded, rather than generic, items can have a negative impact on their affordability.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities are responsible for their own school uniform policy, as part of their responsibilities for school rules. The Scottish Government does encourage local authorities to consider how they can work with schools to ensure that uniform policies do n…

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the report, Findings from 2017 School Clothing Grants Survey, by the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland and The Poverty Truth Commission.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government strongly believes that all children in Scotland should have equal access to education regardless of their financial circumstances and we welcome the work of Child Poverty Action Group in detailing the key financial barriers affecting p…

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with COSLA regarding a nationwide minimum school clothing grant.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely and constructively with CoSLA on the provision of a minimum school clothing grant.

7 Mar 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made rolling out the Healthier, Wealthier Children approach to income maximisation across Scotland.

2 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the EU directive prohibiting “the use of all indiscriminate means capable of causing local disappearance of, or serious disturbance to, populations [of] species”, what assessment it has made of localised declines of mountain hares that has been reported by Scottish Natural H…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The available long term data does not suggest a national decline in the mountain hare population, but there is evidence from north east Scotland of declines on some managed grouse moors. In order to assess the current population trend on these sites and provi…

2 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage sporting estates to practice voluntary restraint on the large-scale cull of mountain hares.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: New guidance on sustainable hare management is currently being finalised by Scotland’s Moorland Forum on behalf of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The new guidance encourages collaborative working between estates to develop sustainable hare management plans.…

2 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04501 by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 November 2016, whether it considers that the culling of mountain hares that was reported by the BBC programme, Countryfile, on 28 January 2018, constitutes evidence of large-scale culling and, if so, whether it wil…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage’s advice is that the available evidence shows no national decline in mountain hare numbers. An independent group has been established to look at the environmental impact of grouse moor management practices including the management of…

8 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it appearing under the Support for Sustainable and Active Travel budget line in the Draft Budget, whether all of the £80 million set aside for active travel in its Programme for Government will be allocated to walking and cycling.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: All of the £80 million set aside for active travel in the Scottish Governments Programme for Government will be allocated to walking and cycling. This will come from the Support for Sustainable and Active Travel (SSAT) and Future Transport Fund budget lines a…

12 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual budget is of NHS Research Scotland's Partnership with Industry programme, and how its spending is evaluated.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Research Scotland (NRS) supports clinical research studies and clinical trials from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries through a simplified, single point of access to Scotland’s clinical research infrastructure, including …

12 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided by the Chief Scientist Office's (a) Health Improvement, Translational Clinical Studies Research Committee and (b) Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee for research and development in each of the last 10 years, and which commerc…

Answer · Shona Robison: (a) The Health Improvement, Protection & Services (HIPS) and Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committees were established in 2016. Each committee has 2 funding rounds per year In 2016 the following funding was committed HIPS £2,006,209 TCS £2,169,872 …

22 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its mental health strategy, how it plans to address and reduce levels of self-harm.

Answer · Maureen Watt: In the Mental Health Strategy (2017 – 27), we commit to focussing on self-harm in our forthcoming engagement with stakeholders on the development of a new Action Plan on Suicide Prevention. Self-harm is related but a distinct phenomenon to suicide. We will un…

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19841 by Derek Mackay on 10 March 2014, whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making on delivering the recommendations in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland: 2013 Update.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Yes, the Scottish Government will provide an update on the progress made on delivering the recommendations in the Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland: 2013 Update. This will be provided after the conclusion of the forthcoming review of energy …

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland that it should have been introduced in 2016-17, when it will set the date for the delivery of net zero-carbon new buildings.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: At this point, the Scottish Government have no plans to set a date for the delivery of net zero carbon new buildings. The 2013 Update to the Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy acknowledged that delivery of net zero carbon new buildings may not be practic…

25 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) it is and (b) its agencies are playing in the proposals to redevelop Picardy Place in Edinburgh using the growth accelerator model, and what its position is on whether this in line with policies to promote designs that prioritise walking, cycling and placemaking.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Responsibility for the detailed design of individual elements within the St James Quarter Growth Accelerator agreement, including the design proposals for Picardy Place, is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council to lead on. Scottish Ministers set nationa…

25 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) it has and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the City of Edinburgh Council and (ii) other stakeholders since October 2015 to discuss the proposals to redevelop Picardy Place; who attended, and what items were discussed.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Government officials engaged with officials from the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Futures Trust to discuss the St James Quarter Growth Accelerator agreement before it was signed in October 2016. Since then a Growth Accelerator Executive Gr…

17 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of benefits being devolved, what its response is to the UK Government requiring people over 65 to be assessed for personal independence payments, given that this is a benefit for people of working-age.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Under the current UK Government system I understand that people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, are reassessed for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if they were under the age of 65 on the 8th of April 2013 but are now over 65, or will be 65 by t…

12 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2007 assessment recording an “unfavourable/inadequate” status, for what reason its 2013 article 17 habitats regulations report to the EU Commission assessed the mountain hare population as “favourable”, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) criteria it used …

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Information (including data sources) on the assessment of conservation status for mountain hare in the second UK report to the European Commission under Article 17 of the EU Habitats Directive is published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and can be…

4 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS has spent in each of the last 10 years to pay any article processing charges that have been levied by publishers on institutions that have carried out NHS-funded research.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care directorates funds health research to address health and care challenges in Scotland, which includes but is not restricted to research hosted by the NHS or where the NHS is a p…

2 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact leaving the EU would have on the price and availability of generic and biosimilar medicines.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is not possible at this time to predict the outcome of negotiations between the UK and the rest of the European Union, and therefore what the impact will be on the price and availability of medicines as a result of the UK leaving the European Union. Howev…

2 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice Food Standards Scotland has provided to it regarding the compulsory fortification of flour with folic acid.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has received final advice from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) on the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid on a Scotland only basis. This advice is in line with the recommendations made to the FSS Board as follows: i) Manda…

2 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have (a) been entitled to and (b) received healthy start vouchers in 2016-17.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Healthy Start Scheme is administered by the Department of Health. Information in the following table was provided by the Healthy Start Issuing Unit (HSIU) and outlines the households entitled and receiving Healthy Start vouchers in Scotland in the financi…