Monica Lennon

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any discussions that its Nordic Office has had with Norwegian Government (a) ministers and (b) officials, regarding any potential impact on its climate targets of the development of Rosebank oilfield, since 1 January 2021.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government’s Nordic Office was officially opened in August 2022. Based in the British Embassy in Copenhagen, it has a regional remit covering the Nordic countries, including Norway. Scottish Government officials based in the Nordic Office have n…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was made aware of any discussions between the UK and Norwegian governments regarding Rosebank oilfield, as it relates to any potential impact on its climate targets, through (a) the intergovernmental council, (b) communication from the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Common…

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has not been made aware of any discussions between the UK and Norwegian Governments regarding the Rosebank oilfield. Oil and gas licensing processes are currently reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Ministers have repeatedly calle…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Norwegian Government (a) ministers and (b) officials, regarding any potential impact on its climate targets of the development of Rosebank oilfield, since 1 January 2021.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has not engaged in any discussions with Norwegian Government ministers or officials regarding the Rosebank oilfield. We are committed to a just energy transition for the North Sea. Collaboration with our Nordic partners on this transi…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to (a) Warmer Homes Scotland, (b) Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) area based schemes, (c) Home Energy Scotland grants and loans for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating and (d) Home Energy Scotland advice and support serv…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The figures requested are set out in the following table: Financial Year 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Warmer Homes Scotland £50m £55m £55m Area Based Schemes £64m £64m £64m Home Energy Scotland Grants and Loans £21m £42m £42m Home Energy Scotland …

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1.8 billion Heat in Buildings funding has been spent to date, and what the forecast trajectory is of spending to the end of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: From April 2021 to the end of September 2023, the Heat in Buildings Programme has spent £340m, with an additional estimated spend of £163m over the remainder of this financial year.The programme forecasts are showing an increased demand that supports a contin…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding it allocated to (a) improve energy efficiency and (b) decarbonise the heating of homes in (i) social, (ii) owner-occupied and (iii) private rented housing in (A) 2021-22, (B) 2022-23 and (C) 2023-24.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The budgets allocated are as follows:  21-22 22-23 23-24 Social £20mn £30mn £39.5mn Owner occupied and Private Rented £135mn £161mn £161mn   The budget for the private rented sector scheme is combined with that for our wider Home Energy Scotland …

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to increase the amount of high conservation value forest through (a) greater rates of restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites and (b) improvements to the condition of ancient semi-natural woodlands on estates managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, in …

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The area of High Conservation Value Woodland (HCVW) on Scotland’s national forests and land has not decreased in real terms. The method used to calculate HCVW area has been refined to more accurately reflect where native trees would naturally occur. Plans ar…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Forestry and Land Scotland's £15.5 million project to remove rhododendron from 50,000 hectares of land, which began in 2010, how much of the £15.5 million was spent in total, and from how many hectares of land rhododendron was eradicated between 2010 and 2020.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: All £15.5 million plus an additional £4.5 million was spent by Forest Enterprise Scotland (the predecessor to Forestry and Land Scotland) on rhododendron control between 2010 and 2020. The area treated was in the region of 16,000 hectares. Complete eradicati…

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the overall budget was that was allocated for (a) new rhododendron eradication and (b) the ongoing treatment of existing areas of rhododendron on estates managed by Forestry and Land Scotland over the last five years, and from how many hectares of land managed by Forestry and Land S…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Forestry and Land Scotland accounting systems do not differentiate rhododendron control from other environmental expenditure such as Invasive Non-Native Species control. Therefore, figures of expenditure on a) new rhododendron and b) ongoing treatment cannot …

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of the Forestry and Land Scotland estate are part of Scotland’s rainforest; what proportion of this estate is plantations on ancient woodland sites, and what its plans are for restoration and buffering with zones for natural colonisation.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manage 204,782 hectares of woodland within the rainforest zone, of which 17,960 hectares are considered to be rainforest habitat, or of high potential to be restored to rainforest habitat. These consist of PlantLife IPA, and o…

10 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider establishing specialist deaf child and adolescent mental health services within NHS Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to providing accessible CAMHS services for children and young people who are deaf. The CAMHS National Service Specification states that all children and families should receive support and services that are accessible an…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) North Lanarkshire Council, (b) South Lanarkshire Council and (c) Falkirk Council regarding police station closures, since 1 April 2023.

Answer · Angela Constance: Responsibility for managing the police estate is for the Chief Constable under Scottish Police Authority (SPA) scrutiny. It is for Police Scotland to consult on the details of its planned estate changes, as approved by the SPA. The Scottish Government has ha…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its commitment to undertake improvements around the Rest and Be Thankful on the A83.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Let me assure you that this scheme is a priority for us. It is a key recommendation in STPR2, it is included in the Programme for Government 2023 to 2024 as well as the First Minister’s Policy Prospectus, highlighting our commitment to a solution to the chall…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the Community Land Scotland publication, Beyond community benefit – a new deal for thriving communities.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I recently met with representatives from Community Land Scotland to discuss the Land Reform Bill and I will consider its proposals in the ‘Beyond community benefit – a new deal for thriving communities’ paper. We are committed to introducing a Land Reform Bi…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle racist incidents in the NHS.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no place for racism in the NHS and in Scottish society as a whole. We have been clear to Health Boards that incidents of racial harassment must be taken seriously and fully investigated. In 2020 we launched the national NHSScotland Bullying and Hara…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect NHS staff from racial harassment.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to the answer to question S6W-22099 on 31 October 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/chamb…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the make-up of the proposed town boards in Scotland.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the UK Government regarding town boards in Scotland. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to participate in any joint trade missions with the Scotland Office to promote trade with Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish companies already have a wide range of options when it comes to participating in international trade missions. They can apply to participate in missions hosted by Scottish Development International and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce which are guid…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Secretary of State for Scotland's visit to Vietnam to increase trade links with Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We have regular dialogue with our colleagues in the UK Government, particularly the Department for Business and Trade regarding promoting Scotland’s overseas trade links. However, we were not made aware of the Secretary of State for Scotland’s visit to Vietna…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail how it is supporting marine rewilding projects.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Restoring and enhancing our marine environment is vital if we are to meet our ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity decline and become Nature Positive by 2030. Scotland is unique in that most of the restoration projects in our waters are community-led, an…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when all police officers in Police Scotland will have undergone vetting, in light of reports that some police officers have not been vetted in over 20 years.

Answer · Angela Constance: It is vital the public have confidence in policing. Vetting is a key strand in providing that assurance and we welcome the publication of the HMICS assurance review of vetting policy and procedures within Police Scotland. The Scottish Government notes that w…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the causes of the reported rise in the prison population.

Answer · Angela Constance: The rise in the prison population is driven by a complex set of factors, including the court backlog caused by reduced court capacity over the pandemic. Progress has been made in reducing this backlog through the justice recovery fund. This has allowed an inc…

6 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported rise in salmon deaths.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is clear in its expectation of producers to drive mortality to the lowest possible levels. Our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture articulates our expectation of improvements to fish health and welfare, and we will continue to work with…

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any impact of its announced reduction to Creative Scotland funding on cultural and arts organisations in (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: There has not been a reduction in Scottish Government's funding awarded to Creative Scotland. Over the last five years, Scottish Government has provided over £33m to Creative Scotland to compensate for the continuous shortfall in National Lottery funding. As…

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the reported £8 million overspend in relation to the World Cycling Championship, which has reportedly resulted in the reinstatement of the £6.6 million reduction in funding to Creative Scotland.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The total funding for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championship is in the process of being finalised and will be confirmed in due course. It includes contributions from the Scottish Government, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow City Council and a number of oth…

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and (b) Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development will meet with trade union representatives from the culture and arts sector, regarding the announced £6.6 million reduction in funding t…

Answer · Christina McKelvie: On 26 October I met with trade union representatives from the culture and arts sector to hear the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. Funding for Creative Scotland was also discussed at this meeting. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Extern…

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the decision was made to reinstate the £6.6 million reduction in funding from Creative Scotland's budget.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: This is not a reduction in the Scottish Government's funding awarded to Creative Scotland. Over the last five years, the Scottish Government has provided over £33m to Creative Scotland to compensate for a shortfall in National Lottery funding. As a result of …

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which minister was responsible for the overall operation of the World Cycling Championships, in light of reports that the event overran its budget by £8 million.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I have lead responsibility for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

5 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21602 by Maree Todd on 5 October 2023, whether it can provide a detailed timetable of when it expects to conclude its work on "considering options to address issues facing Social Care staff, including the payment of SSSC fees".

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to improving terms and conditions for the adult social care workforce, both through our current work and the development of a National Care Service. The Scottish Government is working through the relevant issues on terms …

3 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the compliance of colleges with its Fair Work Action Plan.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. We are committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to…