Monica Lennon

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider including off-site based escapes in its monitoring framework for salmon farms, including escapes from transport crafts.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: It is not currently a legal requirement under the Aquatic Animal Health Regulations (Scotland) 2009 as amended for farmed fish transporters to report farmed fish escapes, however we are considering the issue of reporting and transparency further.

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment was made of the impact on biodiversity and ecological health of the escape of an estimated 80,000 fish while being transported from Sutherland to the Orkney Islands in 2023.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In February 2023 the Scottish Government was made aware of an escape of approximately 80,000 fish during transport. The fish originated from Loch Shin and were loaded at Lochinver; the loss occurred en route to Orkney.No formal assessment of the impact was ma…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to protect the 2026 Scottish Parliament election from foreign interference.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government opposes any form of interference in Scottish politics and elections. We use the powers we have available to protect the integrity of the democratic process. To prevent foreign interference, we work closely with the UK Government, for e…

23 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether ScotRail passengers who hold a National Entitlement Card should be able to claim discounted tickets online and via machines, as is currently possible when purchasing at a ticket office.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The National Entitlement Card allows the holder to access rail concession schemes, where such schemes exist. It is a feature of these Local Authority sponsored schemes that tickets may only be purchased in face-to-face transactions – either at ticket of…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the gradual reduction of alcohol-related hospital admissions over the past decade and is working closely with Public Health Scotland, local services and other stakeholders to ensure the reasons behind the gradual reduction a…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review, and what its position is on whether there is a role for dentists in addressing alcohol-related har…

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the rec…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise public awareness of the role of dentists in addressing alcohol-related harm.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the rec…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the dental profession to identify and address any barriers to the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the rec…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that appropriate training is delivered to dentists to enable them to undertake alcohol brief interventions.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the rec…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to (a) eliminate cervical cancer and (b) tackle any inequalities in human papillomavirus (HPV) (i) vaccination and (ii) screening coverage rates.

Answer · Jenni Minto: (a) As set out on 22 January 2024 in response to question S6W-24720, the Scottish Government has established an Expert Group to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the Worl…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32137 by Ivan McKee on 19 December 2024, what its position is on whether the amendments that SEPA is considering regarding its call centre service are in line with the Scottish Government's Fair Work First policy.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government expects that all public sector employers, including SEPA, adopt fair work practices, including through Fair Work First, which applies to discretionary public sector grants.SEPA is responsible for its day to day operations and publishes…

20 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32140 by Gillian Martin on 18 December 2024, whether it will review the regulations governing water quality in Scotland, in light of the reported concerns by Environmental Standards Scotland.

Answer · Gillian Martin: We assume the question refers to the recent analytical report, Storm Overflows in Scotland, published by Environmental Standards Scotland.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) considers 87% of our water environment to be high or good quality - up …

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04137 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering a pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In 2025-26 we are providing £37 million resource to support the expansion of free school meals to pupils in Primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. Agreement to the budget from parties across this Chamber will ensure this work continue…

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing further support for the operation of the Adoption Contact Register.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government provided £57,000 in 2024-25 to Birthlink via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund (CYPFEI & ALEC) third sector fund to support the operation of the Adop…

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place in the event that Birthlink becomes unable to continue operating the Adoption Contact Register.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting those separated by adoption to express a wish to be in touch with one anotherScottish Government policy officials met with Birthlink on 17 December 2024 to discuss the operation of the Adoption Contact Regist…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have restricted access to mental health services to tier (a) 3 and (b) 4 patients.

Answer · Maree Todd: Tier 3 and Tier 4 services are those secondary and specialist mental health services - including Community Mental Health Teams, Adult Acute Psychiatry, and specialist Perinatal Mental Health care, that usually require a referral from a GP or other health care…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the written evidence provided by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to the Citizen Participation and Public Petition Committee on 21 October 2024 regarding petition PE1871 (Full review of mental health services), whether it can provide an update on the w…

Answer · Angela Constance: The Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) continues to work across organisational boundaries to identify and deliver support to individuals that can be delivered in a person centred and trauma informed way.The PDG has worked together to support the Scottish Govern…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many land and nature apprenticeships have been completed since May 2021.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.As our national skills body Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publish high level statistical information relating to completion of apprenticeships. You can find this information within the following links…

18 Dec 2024 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what information relating to cancer awareness is currently provided on its intranet service, and whether it will consider providing (a) information about and (b) links to the Bladder Cancer in Scotland campaign, Do Look Down, on the service.

Answer · Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB): The health and wellbeing of MSPs, their staff and SPCB staff is a priority for the SPCB. The SPCB promotes a wide range of health and wellbeing resources on its intranet, including those provided by Spectrum Life, the SPCB’s employee wellbeing partner. …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking, when allocating public subsidy and quota, to ensure that it is promoting and increasing the number of jobs in the fishing industry that meet its definition of fair work.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) applies the Scottish Government Fair Work First criteria to grant awards. The conditions of award ensure organisations commit to the Fair Work First Criteria in a way that is relevant and appropriate for the organisation. This d…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill will account for the operation and support of supported businesses.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Provisions in the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill will be informed by operation of the internationally recognised CWB economic development model.Community Wealth Building provides a strategic framework that can be applied to local areas and regions to bi…

17 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of alcohol-related hospital admissions continuing to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the gradual reduction of alcohol-related hospital admissions over the past decade and is working closely with Public Health Scotland, local services and other stakeholders to ensure the reasons behind the gradual reduction a…

17 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31914 by Alasdair Allan on 10 December 2024, whether it can detail what grants have been made, and to which groups. 

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Since June 2022 the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme has offered grants totalling almost £7m to a total of 31 projects, split across two streams:Stream 1 - funding for feasibility studies or technical demonstration of hydrogen production, distribution or stor…

17 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18745 by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023, whether it can provide a full list of meetings of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, whether officials attended those meetings, and, if so, whether it can provide a summary of what i…

Answer · Jenni Minto: As I set out in answer to question S6W-31933 on 16 December 2024, the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group is comprised of the Chief Executives of most of the independent Scottish hospices and their key partners and is not a Scottish Government group. As such, w…

17 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31858 by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2024, whether it is considering rolling out national maternity safety ambitions in Scotland, based on discussions that it has had with the UK Department of Health and Social Care.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31859 on 11 December 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-committ…

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination of care between primary and secondary care services for long-term conditions such as Crohn's disease and colitis, in accordance with the shift to community-based healthcare outlined in its Programme for Government 2024-25.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government’s strategic priorities are to shift the balance of care closer to people's homes and drive a proactive approach of early intervention and prevention, which will help reduce demand for acute care.We are increasing capacity and acc…

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the number of gas leaks that occur on offshore installations.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As regulation for offshore oil and gas operations are a reserved matter for UK Government, Scottish Government does not record gas leaks from offshore oil and gas installations.

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether it will commit to publishing its final energy strategy in the first quarter of 2025.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. 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 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether its final energy strategy will address its involvement in the (a) Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance and (b) Under2 Coalition.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The judgements and issues in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan are informed and influenced by recent developments in UK Government energy policy and by court decisions.This is a rapidly changing landscape and we are taking time to reflect on those …

10 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following emergency admission into hospital in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Answer · Neil Gray: It is not possible to provide information on the number of patients who were newly diagnosed with COPD following an emergency admission.Figures presented in Table 1 provide the number of emergency inpatient hospital stays associated with a main diagnosis of c…