Monica Lennon

22 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to strengthen “the capacity of climate policy development within the Scottish Government”, as set out as action number 18 of the policy package announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Despite the real terms budget cuts introduced by the previous UK Government, in 2024-25 alone we have committed £4.7 billion to support the delivery of our climate change goals.We are committed to tackling climate change through the existing actions we …

22 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what internal processes exist to ensure that Transport Scotland’s policy development and project implementation (a) are consistent with the Scottish Government’s climate change policies, including the Climate Change Plan (CCP), and (b) act to ensure that emissions from the tr…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The approach to the transport sector is consistent with other sectors in the Climate Change Plan (update) (CCPu) Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 - update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which outlines a sectoral …

21 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: To date, 9 school infrastructure projects have opened through the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). Furthermore, 16 projects are currently in construction.The LEIP aims to deliver 47 projects by the end of 2027-28.

21 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools it estimates have been successfully retrofitted since 2021.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government school estate statistics are collected and published annually at: School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The number of schools refurbished since April 2021 is (a) 88 in primary and (b) 13 in secondary. Only projects with …

21 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how (a) NatureScot and (b) Marine Scotland prevent whale strandings.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) at the University of Glasgow to provide a coordinated approach to the surveillance of marine species (e.g., cetaceans, seals and basking sharks) stranded around the Scottish coa…

21 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the capacity of the alcohol and drug partnership workforce to deliver its commitment to increase access to residential rehab.

Answer · Neil Gray: For the Scottish Government to meet our commitment of ensuring that at least 1000 people receive public funding for their stay in Residential Rehabilitation, it is largely dependent on capacity in the residential rehabilitation providers who provide the servi…

21 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Marine Scotland has recorded any collisions between its offshore patrol fleet and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) other large marine species since 2021.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Marine Directorate has recorded no collisions between its Marine Protection Vessels and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) other large marine species since 2021, and is not aware of any collisions.

14 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received an update from Scottish Water regarding the situation in Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire following the collapse of a pipe bridge carrying a waste water main in October 2023.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water has advised that a major repair has been required under challenging conditi…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of all publicly owned bodies that have a trade union representative as a board member.

Answer · Ivan McKee: For the purposes of this response we are interpreting “publicly owned bodies” to mean devolved public bodies. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Scottish Rail Holdings Limited aligns with the provisions of the UK Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As the Bill is currently passing through the UK Parliament, we do not yet know what its final provisions will be.However the Scottish Government welcomes the objectives of the Bill as introduced, which we believe align with the policy of Scottish Ministers th…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on all new build properties.

Answer · Paul McLennan: There are no plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on all new buildings in Scotland.Standard 6.1 (energy demand) of Scottish building regulations set challenging overall energy targets for new homes. This has, in recent years, contributed to an in…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since 4 July 2024 regarding the implementation of a ban on single-use vapes.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Scottish Government officials have attended two Four Nations meetings regarding the ban on single-use vapes within this time period, during which implementation was discussed - on 14 August and 24 July. We have corresponded with the UK Government regarding th…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the viability of deep sea mining within Scotland's marine environment.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The new National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will set out an updated planning framework to support sustainable management of our seas and is being developed with representatives from marine sectors and local communities. NMP2 will consider the requirement for any sp…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is in relation to deep sea mining in Scotland's marine territory.

Answer · Gillian Martin: At present, there are no license requests for seabed mining in Scotland’s inshore or offshore waters.Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland’s …

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the reported detection of hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29074 on 3 September 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…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) North Lanarkshire Council regarding the reported detection of hepatitis A in the region.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is aware of the recent reported detection of Hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.This is being managed locally by the NHS Lanarkshire health protection team with support from Public Health Scotland and other partners. Although the Scottis…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action NatureScot is taking in response to reports of a decline in breeding seabirds last season.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The results from the most recent seabird census show that many of Scotland’s internationally important seabird populations are suffering from a range of pressures, including climate change, and more recently highly pathogenic avian influenza.We take the…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Investing in Communities Fund.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is a multiyear communities fund that targets our most disadvantaged communities to deliver projects, services and activities that address poverty and disadvantage on their own terms. The second round of the fund invited…

9 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has reduced funding available through the Investing in Communities Fund, when it made this decision, and at what point stakeholders were informed.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Budget set out the considerable financial challenges faced for 2024-25. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering vital public services and supporting households, but also has an obligation to balance the budget each year. This requires …

6 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28593 by Gillian Martin on 6 August 2024, what action SEPA has taken towards any landowners who have received multiple notices under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is a matter for SEPA, outlined in answer to S6W-28593, the Scottish Government does not hold the information being requested. I will therefore ask SEPA to write to the member to provide any further detail on the matter, where it is available.

2 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed (a) the enforcement of environmental laws and (b) funding for SEPA.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Cabinet minutes provide a full account of decisions made but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses issues relating to t…

2 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with SEPA to discuss the enforcement of environmental legislation.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy has regular meetings with SEPA which cover a wide range of topics related to SEPA functions. Most recently, Miri McAllan MSP met SEPA Chair, Lisa Tennant and Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer on 13 June 202…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had since May 2024 with local authorities regarding the expansion of universal free school meals.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Officials last met with COSLA to discuss the free school meal expansion programme in July 2024.

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed the (a) expansion of universal free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils and (b) establishment of a pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools, and whether it will provide details of any such discussion.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Cabinet minutes provide a full account of actions but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses policies which relate to ed…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the roll-out of universal free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils will be completed by March 2026.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is committed to free school meal expansion and continues to work with partners in local government.

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many P6 and P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment currently receive free school meals.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Information on the number of P6 & P7 pupils who are in registered for free school meals is published annually, and can be found in table 2.22 of our pupil census 2023 supplementary statistics: Pupil census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the provisions of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 will come into force.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones)(Scotland) Act was granted Royal Assent on 22 July 2024. Commencement of the Act is subject to parliamentary procedure which requires a Scottish Statutory Instrument to be laid. The Scottish Government is therefore cu…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent and reduce the number of still-births, in light of National Records of Scotland data showing that still-births remained unchanged in 2023 at 3.7 per 1,000 births.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The rate of stillbirth in Scotland has dropped from 5.7 stillbirths per 1000 births (live and still) in 2003 to 3.7 per 1000 births (live and still) in 2023, what this means is that 125 fewer babies were stillborn in 2023 than 2003. However, we recognise that…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce infant mortality, which rose to four per 1,000 live births in 2023, the highest since 2011.

Answer · Jenni Minto: It is disappointing that the infant mortality rate rose last year. We are involved in a number of initiatives to help improve perinatal and infant outcomes.The established Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) perinatal and paediatric improvement programme…

1 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the study carried out by the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO), including the reported finding that (a) 25 local authorities are breaching the law around homelessness, amid a "general deterioration" in councils' confidence of meeting t…

Answer · Paul McLennan: The ALACHO report reflects the significant pressure and increasing demand for homeless support in some local authority areas. However, these challenges are experienced differently across the country and are not universal across Scotland. Although 10 local aut…