Parliamentary questions
Monica Lennon
3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17951 by Tom Arthur on 30 May 2023, as it "routinely mandates the payment of at least the Scottish real Living Wage (£10.90) to employees directly involved in the delivery of its contracts", whether it plans to enshrine this mandate in legislation.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Employment law, including the minimum and national living wage rates, remains reserved to the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government will continue to use our Fair Work policy to encourage and promote fairer work practices across the labour market in …
30 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what provision it has made for providing free period products or helping to provide access to period products within funding allocated for international development programmes.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government has funded two successful international projects to help tackle global challenges around period dignity. Funding of £100,000 was provided to Water Aid Foundation to support women in Rwanda, and just under £13,000 was provided to a proj…
30 May 2023 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it can provide to parents and carers who are struggling to afford nappies and infant feed, in light of recent reports regarding nappy need, difficulties in accessing baby formula at foodbanks and families with young children being forced to cut back on essentials.
25 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Ministers last met with NHS boards to discuss staff wellbeing.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I met with the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce on 6 April. Members include NHS employers, recognised nursing and midwifery workforce experts, professional organisations and academics. Members discussed wellbeing and agreed that it will be one of five key wor…
25 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with UK ministers to discuss its consultation on alcohol advertising and marketing, and what was discussed.
Answer · Elena Whitham: The then Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport Maree Todd MSP raised the consultation on alcohol advertising and promotion with Neil O'Brien MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care at a bi-lateral …
25 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its planned consultation on the Scottish Ministers' proposed target for the amount of heat to be supplied by heat networks by 2035, which it is required to set by October 2023 under the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021, and when it expects to report …
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The consultation responses have been analysed and the Scottish Government published a consultation analysis and government response to the consultation prior to the draft SSI being laid before parliament, which will occur by 1 October 2023. The consultation …
25 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work to reduce teachers' class contact time.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We will continue to explore with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) how we might progress this commitment which is, at least in part, linked to the commitment to recruit additional teachers. In doing so, we will need to be cognisant of fin…
24 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26043 by Jeane Freeman on 11 November 2019, how many children and young people have completed suicide in each year since 2018.
Answer · Maree Todd: The following table sets out the number of children and young people who have died by suicide annually, since 2018. The suicide statistics for 2022 are due to be released by National Records of Scotland in August 2023. Year Under 18 18-24 years 2018 26 …
24 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit regarding the reported increase in violence against staff and pupils in schools, and what (a) public health and (b) prevention measures are being considered.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government continues to liaise with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit regarding youth violence and funds the Unit to take forward a number of preventative measures, using a public health approach which focusses on the underlying drivers of off…
24 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed summit on tackling violence in schools, (a) where and (b) on what date it will be held, and who will be invited.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Planning for the summit is underway. It will focus on practical support at classroom, school and local level to make a difference on this issue and will hear from young people, parents and carers, schools, local authorities and unions to discuss how to tackle…
24 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of any additional financial pressures on local authority budgets being caused by inflation.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Although it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the impact of inflationary pressures on their budgets, Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with COSLA and individual local authorities to discuss all their respective fina…
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the governance arrangements for the Scottish Funding Council.
Answer · Graeme Dey: As with all public bodies, governance arrangements are reviewed continually to ensure they remain effective. A routine appointment process for vacant SFC board positions is currently underway. In September 2022, Ministers initiated an Independent Review of t…
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Educational Institute of Scotland Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) was made aware of the recently announced £46 million reduction in funding for colleges and universities.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I met with The Educational Institute of Scotland Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) on 10 May to discuss, among other things, the £46 million reduction in funding for colleges and universities.
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expand the scope of the PickupMyPeriod app to give non-public authority facilities that offer free period products, such as restaurants and bars, the option to be added to the map.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government encourages wide use of the PickUpMyPeriod app to highlight where free period products are available both within and outwith the scope of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021. Any organisation that offers publicly …
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Community Bus Fund.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Community Bus fund will support local transport authorities to improve local public transport in their areas. The Scottish Government continues to work with ATCO and COSLA in developing the Community Bus Fund. The 2023-24 budget allocates £0.75 million in…
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17950 by Gillian Martin on 23 May 2023, on what date it will next meet with Danish officials; what advice and knowledge it received from Danish officials at previous meetings regarding community and co-operative ownership, and what actions and polic…
Answer · Gillian Martin: In June 2022, Scottish Government officials discussed the subject of community and co-operative ownership with Danish officials in the context of heat network ownership models, where officials received a presentation outlining different ownership types and th…
23 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the (a) 20 short-term, (b) 29 medium-term and (c) 66 total actions in its Women's Health Plan 2021-2024 have been achieved.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Wide-ranging progress has been made since the publication of the Women’s Health Plan in August 2021 and the first report on progress , published on 26 January 2023, sets this out in more detail. Our Women’s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier, recent…
22 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Accounts Commission report, Local government in Scotland: Overview 2023, published in May 2023, which concluded that "radical change" is required if councils are to maintain services, whether it will provide an update on its discussions regarding a new deal for lo…
Answer · Tom Arthur: The New Deal includes collaborative work on a Fiscal Framework for Local Government, alongside a new Partnership Agreement. Following the First Minister’s introductory meeting with COSLA President, Councillor Morrison, on 31 March, work on the Partnership Agr…
22 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help local authorities tackle council tax debt, following reports from Citizen's Advice Scotland that council tax debt is worsening.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Council tax is a local tax and responsibility for collection and enforcement rests with individual local authorities. Ministers are encouraging local government to adopt the best practice in debt assistance and collection identified in the Collaborative Counc…
22 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Friends of the Earth Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Ministers and officials regularly meet with environmental stakeholders including Friends of the Earth. The last time Ms Slater met with Friends of the Earth was on 17 May Friends of the Earth were invited but unable to attend a meeting with Ms Slater and eN…
22 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the number of Scotland-domiciled transgender people who have travelled to receive gender reassignment surgery through the NHS in England.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Gender reassignment surgery is a specialised field of surgery, accessed by a small number of patients each year. Given the highly specialist nature of this surgery it is carried out in the UK under a four-nations contract, managed by NHS England. NHS Scotlan…
19 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail the membership of the short-life working group, established by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) to carry out a robust workforce review and mapping exercise of posts across the network.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Membership of the workforce short life working group established by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC), includes representatives from the MSN CYPC, Scottish Cancer Network, Scottish Government, NHS Tayside (Financ…
19 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been granted to the short-life working group, established by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) to carry out a robust workforce review and mapping exercise of posts across the network.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC), has not received any additional funding from Scottish Government to carry out a robust workforce review and mapping exercise of posts across the network. The exercise is being c…
19 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail when the short-life working group, established by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) to carry out a robust workforce review and mapping exercise of posts across the network, (a) last met and (b) will next meet.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The workforce short life working group set up through the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) last met on 5 April 2023 and will next meet on week commencing 19 June 2023.
15 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement the Women’s Health Champion has had with (a) NHS Scotland, (b) the Scottish Perinatal Network, (c) patient groups and (d) the diagnostics sector, to ensure the implementation of placental growth factor (PLGF)-based tests for pre-eclampsia, following the recommendation of …
Answer · Jenni Minto: Implementation of placental growth factor (PLGF)-based tests for pre-eclampsia does not feature in the Women’s Health Plan . Professor Anna Glasier OBE, Women’s Health Champion has not, therefore, met with NHS Scotland, the Scottish Perinatal Network, patie…
15 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) assistance and (b) funding it is providing to the Scottish Perinatal Network to support its work in promoting the uptake and adoption of placental growth factor (PLGF)-based testing for pre-eclampsia across the NHS.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18105 on 5 June 2023. The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to take note of the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) recommendations, published on 23 March 2023, and take steps to en…
15 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) will be included as a priority in any future version of its Women's Health Plan, in light of a new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) review that recognises the experiences of chronic UTI patients and the issues that t…
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Women’s Health Plan: A plan for 2021 – 2024 aims to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for women and girls. The Plan focusses on a specific set of priorities and whilst chronic urinary tract infections are not specifically mentioned …
15 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17050 by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023, whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to improve NHS patient pathways for those who experience chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), in light of the recent National Institute for Health …
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government expects all NHS healthcare workers in Scotland to follow best practice when providing care for people with UTIs, including recurring UTIs. In support of this, guidelines on management of suspected UTIs were developed by the Scottish …
15 May 2023 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will reintroduce the Social Care Staff Support Fund, or take other action to improve sick pay provision for social care workers, in light of reports of a survey by GMB Scotland stating that 80% of social care workers in the private sector have considered quitti…
9 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government established the time-limited Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce, in partnership with industry, to: agree a vision for a zero-emission bus sector in Scotland; co-design the solutions for ending the bus sector’s contribution to climate change…