Miles Briggs

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation similar to the so-called Awaab’s Law, which would require social landlords to fix reported health hazards within specified time frames.

Answer · Shona Robison: Social landlords in Scotland must already meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard which requires properties to be free from damp, have adequate ventilation and be suitably insulated and they must ensure any requests for repairs are carried out in a timely …

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes are currently available for people with complex care needs, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold that specific information. However statistics collected from local authorities includes information on housing for disabled people: Housing for Older People and People with Disabilities and the Scottish Housing Regulato…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26493 by Clare Haughey on 9 December 2019, whether it will provide the same information for (a) 2019-20 and (b) 2021-22.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) total net expenditure and the percentage of total net NHS Board expenditure spent on CAMHS is published on Public Health Scotland’s website Scottish health service costs under data files mental health exp…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much has been held in local authority reserves in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The level of local authority reserves from 2007 to 2022 is set out in a document that has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib number 64019. Please note that the information you have requested is not available at individual local aut…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people from a BAME background accessing patient clinical trials.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) along with partners in the UK Clinical Research Recovery, Resilience and Growth programme considers it important that clinical trial populations reflect the populations that could benefit from the treatme…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce screening for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) in children.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, takes advice on whether or not to introduce any new screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group.   The UK NSC conducts an Annual Cal…

20 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many public libraries are currently at risk of closure.

Answer · Neil Gray: Responsibility for public libraries sits with the relevant local authorities, and as such, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council…

15 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1.8 billion allocated towards the Heat in Buildings Strategy it has already spent.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, outlines our ambitious programme that reflects the scale and the size of the challenge to reduce emissions from our buildings. Our commitment to allocate at least £1.8bn over this parliament wi…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding it has allocated to each local authority as a result of any funding floor mechanisms it uses, in each year since any such mechanisms were put in place.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The funding allocated for the 85 per cent funding floor from the introduction in 2012-13 up to and including 2023-24 is set out in a document that has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib number 64023 The Local Government Finance se…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation are not registered with a GP.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government does not hold this data. Anyone not registered with a GP and resident in temporary accommodation, can be treated as a temporary patient at a General Practice for the first 3 months, maintaining access to healthcare. After this time they ar…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation have been referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally. However, I can advise that anyone who is a resident in temporary accommodation can be treated as a temporary patient at a General Practice for the first 3 months, maintaining access to healt…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation, who are of relevant age, are not enrolled and attending (a) primary and (b) secondary school.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: This is a matter for local government. The information requested is not held centrally.

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation are not registered with a dentist.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Public Health Scotland does publish statistics on the number of children registered with a dentist but data on the accommodation status of patients is not collected. Registration statistics can be vie…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding has been provided to third sector organisations in each year since 1999, broken down by organisation.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government expenditure is allocated across portfolios to various sectors, including the third sector, to improve a wide range of outcomes. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations …

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers have been allocated to the City of Edinburgh Council area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The allocation of resources is a matter for Police Scotland.  

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve outcomes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government has funded Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) which has a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) care for patients across Scotland in partnership with third-sector and people w…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presented at A&E due to an IBD flare-up in 2022.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for Public Health Scotland.

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many public swimming pools have closed in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. We recognise the importance of swimming pools and other sports facilities in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. sport scotland, our national agency for sport, a…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school libraries have closed in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Provision of school libraries, which deliver a wide range of benefits and access to learning materials and resources for pupils, is a matter for local decision making in each local authority area. We su…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to recruit more inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) nurse specialists, in light of Crohn’s and Colitis UK’s recommended standard of 2.5 IBD nurse specialists per 250,000 patient population.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at t…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have (a) received legal aid and (b) had an application for legal aid declined in each year since 1999.

Answer · Elena Whitham: Financial Year Number of applications to SLAB Grants of applications to SLAB Total not granted* Number of other** grants of legal aid 1999-2000 88,000 74,000 14,000 361,000 2000-2001 90,000 76,000 14,000 370,000 2001-2002 97,000 82,000 15,…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the outcome of its 2016 commitment to provide £30 million over five years to the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

Answer · Maree Todd: CHAS received £6m pa from 2016/17 – 2020/21. This was followed by a Programme for Government commitment in 2021/22 to “ensure provision of high-quality child palliative care, regardless of location, supported by sustainable funding of at least £7m per year th…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of NHS staff pay awards on the hospice sector.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of NHS staff pay awards on the independent hospice sector, however, Scottish Government Ministers are meeting with representatives from the sector in March 2023 to discuss pressures that …

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans will be included in its new cancer strategy to develop a workforce plan for cancer diagnostic and treatment services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are considering workforce as one of the key pillars in our new cancer strategy, which we anticipate will be published in spring this year. The cancer strategy will align with the Health and Social Care: National Workforce Strategy, published in 2022. A pu…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop an amendment to legislation on short-term lets to provide for home or house sharing for a defined time period.

Answer · Shona Robison: Licensing authorities have wide discretion in granting temporary exemptions or temporary licences within the powers of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and the Licensing Order. Temporary licences of up to six weeks are permitted under the 1982 Act. T…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when all developments identified under its Cladding Remediation programme will be surveyed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Single Building assessment process has started for the 27 buildings in the original pilot. The pilot has been extended to 105 building. As the programme continues we expect further buildings to be identified and assessed. As we survey and undertake these …

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop an amendment to legislation on short-term lets to provide for specific major events to be exempt for a defined time period.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15120 on? 20 March 2023. 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…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many public parking spaces there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads, including the provision of parking spaces with local road authorities. The number of parking spaces required in each area is therefore determined by the relevant local authorit…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much has been paid out and (b) many households have received funding from the Fuel Insecurity Fund since it was established.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since being established in the winter of 2020, as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, a total of £33.595 million in support has been distributed from the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) through our third sector delivery partners, namely Advice Direct Scotland, …

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been employed in cancer diagnostic and treatment services in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested on how many people have been employed in cancer diagnostic and treatment services in each NHS board in each year since 1999 is not held by the Scottish Government. Healthcare professionals involved in diagnostics and treatment are no…