Monica Lennon

20 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average timescale is of its residential rehab placements.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The length of residential rehabilitation programmes varies substantially. Data from the publication ‘Pathways into, through and out of Residential Rehab in Scotland ’ published in November 2021 shows that placements across private providers are typically shor…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Natural Capital Market Framework.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is developing a Market Framework to set out a clear long-term policy ambition and coherent policy framework to support our vision for the development of Natural Capital markets in Scotland. It will be published later in the year, follo…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its forthcoming Natural Capital Market Framework will align with the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Natural Capital Market Framework will seek to strengthen Scotland’s interim principles for ‘Responsible Investment in Natural Capital’. If passed by Scottish Parliament, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will also help to realise many of these Interim Princ…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) UK Government ministers and (b) private companies regarding its forthcoming Natural Capital Market Framework.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Engagement on the Natural Capital Market Framework is taking place from March to September and is following Scottish Government’s approach to service design, using the expertise and insight from a diverse range of stakeholders to inform the development of the…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scotland Student Midwives Finance Report, published by the Royal College of Midwives.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government welcomes the Student Midwives Finance Report, published by the Royal College of Midwives and thanks them for holding the roundtable event in the Scottish Parliament on 30 May 2024. The event was attended by the Chief Midwifery Officer…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether student midwives in receipt of benefits continue to receive their benefits after being awarded a bursary.

Answer · Neil Gray: There are a number of complexities around UK benefits and student systems and these can impact negatively on each other. With the Scottish Government Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary, maintenance elements of the Bursary are considered as incom…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much time, on average, it takes for a student midwife to be repaid for any expenses incurred on clinical placements, and what action it is taking to decrease this.

Answer · Neil Gray: Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) manage the reimbursement of clinical placement expenses for student paramedics, nurses and midwives on behalf of the Scottish Government and has a 12 day service level agreement in place. Since the start of the 2024-25 ac…

19 Jun 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end the reported disruption to students in further education, in light of the ongoing industrial dispute between College Employers Scotland and EIS-FELA over pay and conditions.

18 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published the report for the 2021 missed emissions target under section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, during the pre-election period, in light of reports that this report has already been substantially delayed and is critical to understanding ho…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The published pre-election guidance sets out that announcements and publications from the Scottish Government, particularly those including a cross border or reserved element, can have a bearing on the UK general election campaign. Regrettably, in line with t…

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every NHS board has a designated renal counsellor for adults with kidney disease.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Recruitment and training of registered mental health professionals is a matter for employers such as NHS boards and Local Authorities. These bodies make informed decisions about recruiting counsellors and psychotherapists or training new mental health practit…

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve psychosocial care for people living with kidney disease. 

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with kidney disease 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 the centre of their …

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand coverage of designated renal social work support.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Employment of social workers rests with local authorities and the Scottish Government does not hold any information on numbers of renal social workers.

12 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any schools without an on-site school counsellor or a mental health practitioner. 

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government continues to provide £16 million per year to ensure that all secondary schools have access to school counselling services. Local authorities have confirmed that all secondary schools in Scotland have access to counselling services. A…

12 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether every school has access to on-site mental health services. 

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28136 on 26 June 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…

12 Jun 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will proceed with its reported plans to downgrade the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Wishaw.

11 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) ScotRail and (b) Scottish Water having a representative of (i) customers and (ii) employees on its company board.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The majority of non-executive appointments to the Boards of Non-Departmental Public Bodies are regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. This means that the process used to appoint Board members is governed by the 'Revise…

11 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on colleges of the 4.8% reduction in revenue funding in its Budget for 2024-25, in light of the Scottish Funding Council figures that were issued on 30 May 2024.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The teaching funding available to each college/region has been maintained and is unchanged from the funds made available for Academic Year 2023-24. We recognise the range of financial challenges which colleges and universities are managing, and have sought to…

11 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26234 by Maree Todd on 15 April 2024, whether it can provide details of its work in implementing the recommendations relating to bereavement in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's 1st Report, 2022 (Session 6), Inquiry into perinatal mental…

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government committed through the Programme for Government 2021-2022 and 2023–24 to improve miscarriage care, part of this work includes the provision of separate spaces in maternity wards in hospitals for those experiencing a pregnancy or bab…

11 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25831 by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2024, whether the development of specialist community perinatal mental health services includes provision for bereavement suites in maternity wards.

Answer · Maree Todd: Provision for bereavement support within maternity wards is outside of the scope of specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services, which support women with complex mental health presentations. The Scottish Government committed through the Programme for Govern…

9 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for judicial office holders in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is not involved in the training of judicial office holders. Part 2 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 sets out that the Lord President is responsible for making and maintaining appropriate arrangements for the welfare, tra…

9 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The development and delivery of training packages is entirely an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

9 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for Police Scotland in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.

Answer · Angela Constance: Scotland’s natural resources are vital to its economic success and the health and wellbeing of its citizens. The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to reduce the significant harms caused by envir…

2 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a toxics use reduction strategy.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Toxics use reduction as a concept is already well embedded in the regulatory system on chemicals safety in Great Britain. This system includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) regulation, part of the post-brexit …

30 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls 2024 Report and (b) reported concerns that a lack of urgency, coherence and accountability on the part of the Scottish Government has prevented the implementation of all previous recommendations…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We are grateful to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls and the Empowering Women Panel for the considerable work they put into the 2024 report. The Scottish Government is committed to working with the Council and Panel to meet our shared goal of g…

30 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Water Safety Scotland finding that 39 suicide suspected fatalities at or near water occurred in 2023, which is an increase from previous years.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Every life lost to suicide is an enormous tragedy and while we welcome figures showing water related fatalities are at their lowest since 2018, we are not complacent. We are taking a whole of Government and societal approach towards suicide, focusing on addre…

30 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland will be represented at the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is taking place in Bonn, Germany, in June 2024.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government International Climate Change Officials are attending the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Scottish Ministers are not in attendance. Although Scotland is not a UN member state, the Scottish Govern…

28 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, what measures will be included in its timeline for implementing demand management as part of its route map to 20% reduction in car km; whether road pricing will be included as…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy confirmed to the Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2024 that we will deliver the commitment made to publish by autumn the route map for reduction in car use by 20% produced in partnership with CoS…

22 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the total annual cost of alcohol harm in Scotland, including to the NHS and healthcare, in light of the Institute of Alcohol Studies reporting that the annual cost of alcohol harm in England is £27.4 billion, which includes a £4.9 billion cost to the NHS in E…

22 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how its loss and damage funding assists communities in Central Africa with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government loss and damage funding is not currently assisting communities in Central Africa, with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations. Our loss and damage funding for the rest of this Parliamentary term is focused on two multi-year …

21 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend the conditions for future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds, regarding group companies and supply chain partners, in line with the conditions set for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) project bidder…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Seabed leasing for offshore wind is administered by Crown Estate Scotland (CES), which sets the terms of lease. CES keeps the terms of lease under regular review to reflect any legislative updates or changes to CES or Scottish government policy. Leasing terms…