Parliamentary questions
Monica Lennon
3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its budget has been allocated to support community ownership development of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Community Ownership : For the purposes of answering this question Community Ownership is where a community develops owns and operates the renewable energy asset. CARES Funding : The Scottish Government’s main mechanism for supporting community energy project…
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its budget has been allocated to support public sector development of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has not provided any direct financial support to the public sector for onshore or offshore wind energy projects in the last 10 years.
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the names of the (a) owner and (b) operator of each of Scotland’s (i) onshore and (ii) offshore wind energy projects.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Crown Estate Scotland manage leasing of the Scottish seabed, and we will ask their Chief Executive to write to you directly with this information. The Scottish Government are aware of the UK Government Renewable Energy Planning Database which will hold infor…
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its budget has been allocated to support cooperatively-owned (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) delivered by Local Energy Scotland on the Scottish Government’s behalf, £14.48 million has been invested since 2011 to support 197 community, locally owned and shared ownership onshore wind projects. T…
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the average percentage of any profits that are paid out as community benefit from (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the percentage of profits that are paid out from community benefits from onshore or offshore wind energy projects. Our updated Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy …
8 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated combined financial value of the energy output from all of Scotland’s wind energy projects was in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The exact financial value of the electricity output from Scotland’s wind energy projects is not known. Electricity is traded on in the wholesale market where the price fluctuates continuously and precise data on prices is not publicly available. ? Also a lar…
6 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is available to help people meet the costs of charging mobility scooters in light of rising energy prices and the reported cost of living crisis.
Answer · Michael Matheson: We know that the recent increases in energy prices we have seen will be concerning to many consumers including those using mobility scooters. Whilst the Scottish Government does not have powers over the setting of energy prices, we have looked to provide assi…
1 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce treatment time targets for return chronic pain patients.
Answer · Maree Todd: Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS). We have published a draft Framework fo…
1 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Public Health Scotland regarding data and transparency in relation to return chronic pain patients, and (a) when and (b) how frequently waiting time information for return chronic pain patients will be published.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07901 on 3 May 2022. 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/w…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to change the way sarcoma incidence data counts the yearly number of sarcoma cases.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07664 on 19 April 2022. 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-committee…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to speed up sarcoma cancer diagnoses, and what is being done to increase public awareness of this type of cancer.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-07665 on 21 April 2022 and S6W-07668 on 26 April 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parl…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to improve healthcare professionals' awareness of sarcoma cancer, and how radiologists are being supported in the use of sarcoma guidelines.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07666 on 21 April 2022 and S6W-07667 and S6W-07669 answered on 26 April 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found…
28 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to ensure that Medical Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards will be fully embedded across services by April 2022.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards were published on 31 May 2021, and the Scottish Government made a commitment that Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) will embed the standards by April 2022. Work to embed the MAT standards by local s…
23 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail will be subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 from 1 April 2022 when it moves into public ownership; what steps are being taken to ensure that historic emails and files held by Abellio ScotRail Limited are not destroyed or lost when the Abellio franch…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: From 1 April 2022 ScotRail Trains Limited has been subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. On the ScotRail website, the page Information Requests | ScotRail , provides details of how to submit a request for information that is not include…
20 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will name the chronic pain specialist services and treatments that it considers “demonstrate limited health outcomes”, as referred to on page 69 of its Programme for Government 2020-21.
Answer · Maree Todd: Through the development of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines on chronic pain in adults and children and young people , Scotland has been a world-leader in promoting evidence-based approaches for healthcare professionals to…
20 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether free COVID-19 lateral flow tests will be retained for (a) unpaid carers, (b) caregivers and (c) visitors entering (i) care homes and (ii) other healthcare settings.
Answer · Maree Todd: We published our Test and Protect Transition Plan on 15 March 2022. This states that from mid-April in place of a population wide approach, we will use asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 on a targeted basis. This includes testing to support patient care and …
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of South Lanarkshire reportedly having the lowest percentage of young people (4.81%) applying for free bus passes through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We are aware that the percentage of eligible young people holding cards providing free bus travel under the new Young Persons’ Scheme varies between local authorities. There will be a variety of reasons for this, including different levels of local awareness …
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Life at age 14: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotlandstudy findings that 42.7% of young people asked, admitted that they had a period in their life, lasting several days or longer, when they felt depressed, and 13.9% said they had sought help from a…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government acknowledges the importance of the Growing Up in Scotland Study (GUS) longitudinal study which allows us to track the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s children and young people over an extended period of time. We also note with conce…
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05334 by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2022, whether it plans to make sapropterin available for routine use in the NHS for patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), and, if so, when will this take place.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07156 on 28 March 2022. 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-committee…
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals exceeding (a) 2.2, (b) 10 and (c) 100 nanograms per litre (ng/l) have been found in drinking water in the last 10 years.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: There is currently no requirement to monitor drinking water for Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, such monitoring will become mandatory once new Regulations take effect in early 2023 to align with the requirements of the EU’s reca…
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to monitor perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemical levels in drinking water, and whether it will provide details of the circumstances under which people are offered blood tests for these.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: There is currently no requirement to monitor drinking water for Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).However, such monitoring will become mandatory once new Regulations take effect in early 2023 to align with the requirements of the EU’s recas…
19 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether P&O Ferries and its parent company, DP World, should have any role in green freeports.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has been clear that fair work practices sit at the heart of Green Freeports. All applicants are required to set out their strategy for embedding fair work across the Green Freeport area. Any application which does not show a clear comm…
16 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to help small charities with recent increases in utility bills.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Energy policy and markets remain reserved to Westminster, as do the majority of tax levers. We have called repeatedly on the UK Government to consider all options to help those affected by increased utility bills, including a temporary cut in VAT on energy bi…
13 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include the reported impact of diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, stilbestrol and stilboestrol, on women and their children in its ongoing assessment of historic forced adoption and requests for a formal apology and specialist support.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government will consider all of the information received from people affected by historical adoption practices through our ongoing engagement activity before next steps are decided. Regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines …
13 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) First Minister, (b) Deputy First Minister, (c) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, (d) Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care, (e) National Clinical Director, (f) Chief Medical Officer and (g) Chief Social Work Adviser last made an official visit to a care h…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Ministers have not visited any care homes in their official capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have closely monitored the situation throughout. Both the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and myself took office in May 2021, partway through t…
13 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to (a) improve awareness of the symptoms and (b) reduce late diagnoses of ovarian cancer.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In order to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer, including ovarian cancer, a symptom-checker tool is included on our public facing website, getcheckedearly.org. An ovarian cancer survivor’s story and a link to the ovarian cancer page on …
13 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding housing debt relating to mortgage or secured loan arrears and private landlord rent arrears.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has worked with stakeholders including individual local authorities, COSLA, advice agencies such as Shelter Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland and representative bodies of landlords including PropertyMark and the Scottish Associatio…
11 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06381 by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2022, which NHS boards are currently providing in-person antenatal classes.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. While we provide guidance for NHS Boards on the management of maternity and neonatal services during COVID-19 to aid local service planning, NHS Boards are responsible for undertaking local ris…
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that doctors and clinicians are equipped to identify the early signs and symptoms of an eating disorder.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07140 on ? 21 March 2022. 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…
8 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what consideration it has given to the number of dry powder inhalers prescribed through the NHS, and what its position is on reports that (a) patients respond better to these inhalers and (b) the hydrofluorocarbon gases in the alternative aerosol spra…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Dry powder inhalers(DPIs) make up 33% of the total in Scotland in primary care. In the last financial year (2020/2021), there were 4.5 million metered dose and 2.3 million dry powdered packs prescribed and dispensed via primary care and we have not seen a cle…