Parliamentary questions

Monica Lennon

3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

31 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to investigate the link between a so-called "blackout challenge", reportedly associated with TikTok, and youth fatalities and injuries, and what advice and information is available to children, young people, parents, carers and the wider public.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Protecting children from online harm is a key priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Scotland’s children and young people. In October 2021, a National Hub was established to review all deaths of childre…

31 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work has been undertaken on plans for a Future Generations Commission in Scotland.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government committed in the Programme for Government, to explore how to ensure the interests of future generations are taken into account in decisions made today. Ministers and officials have been engaging with a wide range of organisations who …

31 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a statutory right to time off work for people undergoing fertility treatment.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Employment Law is reserved to the UK Government. Without control over employment law, the Scottish Government continues to promote Fair Work practices in workplaces across Scotland and encourages employers to treat workers undergoing fertility treatment fairl…

31 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) commit to freezing rail fares in 2023 in order to help commuters with the cost of living and (b) abolish peak-time fares.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As announced in the Programme for Government on 6 September, the Scottish government made a commitment that ScotRail fares will not increase before March 2023. The Scottish Government is clearly aware that any RPI linked fares rise would hit hard-pressed pass…

31 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce emergency legislation to address the cost of living crisis.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises the huge pressures the cost of living crisis is placing on households, particularly on those who rent their home. That is why we have committed to protecting tenants by freezing rents and imposing a moratorium on evictions –…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to (a) Ofgem and (b) the UK Government regarding the urgent introduction of an energy price freeze.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The First Minister chaired a summit with energy suppliers and advice organisations, including Ofgem representatives, on 23 August, at which these matters were discussed at length. The First Minister subsequently wrote to the new Prime Minister, urging that sh…

29 Aug 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of increasing hidden hunger due to the cost of living crisis, what action it is taking to address school meals debt and expand access to universal free school meals.

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be any changes to the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme, and when this was last discussed.

Answer · John Swinney: As the First Minister noted in her statement to the Scottish Parliament on the Programme for Government on 6 September 2022, the Scottish Government’s commitment to the full-parliament plans set out in last year’s Programme for Government - and in the Bute Ho…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has engaged in any discussions about criminalising ecocide.

Answer · Lorna Slater: There are strong protections in Scots law for wild animals and habitats. The Scottish Government has made clear our commitment to play a full role in the international effort to tackle the twin global crises in climate and nature. We have recently consulted o…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set clear and robust targets to protect, restore and expand native woodland habitats.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government has delivered its native woodland creation targets as set in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and more recently the Bute House Agreement, and is committed to supporting further expansion of our native woodland resource. As part of the wo…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on private waste firms being used during periods of industrial action to collect and process waste normally managed by local authority workers.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Waste collection is the responsibility of individual local authorities and they are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of waste and recycling services in their area. The Scottish Government supports strong trade unions in Scotland and reco…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly procured a civic mediation service to facilitate dialogue between anti-abortion campaigners who gather at abortion clinics and those who are affected by such activities; who was consulted on this approach, and how people will be identified and invited to…

Answer · Maree Todd: All women in Scotland should be able to access timely abortion care without judgment or intimidation. Last year, a Ministerial-led working group was formed to explore possible ways to solve the problem of women being harassed outside abortion clinics as quick…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported warnings and advice from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the risk of people using candles and naked flames in their homes because of unaffordable energy bills and the cost of living…

Answer · Ash Regan: The Cost of Living Crisis represents an unprecedented challenge and is undoubtedly having an impact on communities across Scotland. Effective fire safety, to prevent fires and reduce their impact, remains a priority for the Scottish Government and the Scottis…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to Age Scotland's reported letter to the First Minister requesting urgent action to provide more financial support for older people and those on the lowest incomes to warm their homes, whether (a) direct, targeted home assessments of those on the lowest incomes will be carried o…

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government has allocated £336 million this year (2022-23) to heat, energy efficiency and fuel poverty measures including £119 million targeted at fuel poor households. Our resources are delivered through long-standing programmes that have success…

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic students have worked in pulmonary rehabilitation services in each of the last five years.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Pulmonary rehabilitation services are made up of multidisciplinary teams which can include the following professions: physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and doctors. All healthcare students require practice placements in a number …

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic students working in pulmonary rehabilitation services continue to practice after graduating.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Pulmonary rehabilitation services are made up of multidisciplinary teams which can include the following professions: physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and doctors. The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of grad…

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time NHS staff work in pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The requested information on how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time NHS staff work in pulmonary rehabilitation services is not centrally available. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) service is run by a team of specialists which includes but is not limited…

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact rising energy costs will have on the ability of pulmonary rehabilitation services to secure non-hospital spaces, such as community halls and leisure centres.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government recognises that pulmonary rehabilitation is an important element of respiratory care. Since the publication of our Respiratory Care Action Plan in March 2021, we have established the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee (SRAC) to ov…

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff vacancies there currently are in pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The requested information on how many staff vacancies there currently are in pulmonary rehabilitation services is not centrally available. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) service is run by a team of specialists which includes but is not limited to: • Phy…

19 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures reported in the Times Education Supplement stating that only 50% of post-probationary primary teachers are expected to be in work in Scottish state schools by September 2022, down from 77% in 2021.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local councils are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their staff. This includes providing a complement of teachers which best meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils within the resources available. The Teacher Induction Scheme…