Alexander Burnett

16 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has introduced a mechanism to ensure that the Resilience Division incorporates assessment of varying climate change risk.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: As part of our civil contingencies risk assessment work, the Scottish Government’s Resilience Division works closely with resilience partners, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Met Office, to assess climate change risk. This work in…

16 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Environment and Forestry Directorate or Housing and Social Justice Directorate have investigated (a) any barriers, including funding, which impact on local authorities’ improvement of drain clearing and maintenance programmes and (b) how many local authorities (i) do and (ii)…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: As the Roads Authority, local authorities are responsible for the drainage of local roads and public highways under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 - including maintenance of road gullies. The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many local auth…

16 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it takes account of the length of roads for which a local authority is responsible for maintaining when allocating funding to local authorities for flood risk management.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government does not take into account the length of roads for which a local authority is responsible when allocating funding to local authorities for flood risk management. The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 provides the framework for…

16 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it requires local authority contingency plans to be reviewed periodically when updated flood risk information is available.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places 7 duties on local authorities including duties to assess the risk of an emergency occurring, and to plan for such emergencies, and maintain those plans accordingly. Further guidance and best practice for categorised res…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce legislation establishing an arbitration service at local authority level for residential park owners.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no plans to establish an arbitration service at local authority level for residential park owners.

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce an independent residential park evaluation and grading system to prevent park owners from rating their own sites.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce an independent residential park evaluation and grading system.

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce legislation to sanction residential park owners who do not supply timely and fully completed written statements to their residents.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce legislation to sanction residential park owners who do not supply timely and fully completed written statements to their residents. The Mobile Homes Act 1983 states that if the owner has failed to give the occ…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, following disruptions to the energy supply as a result of recent storms, what discussions it has had with Ofgen regarding whether residents of residential park homes will be (a) included on the priority contact list and (b) allowed access to any compensation schemes in the event of envi…

Answer · Michael Matheson: Resilience of the Electricity Sector is reserved and therefore the responsibility of the UK Government. Access to the Priority Services Register is available to anyone that meets the eligibility criteria and individuals can register by contacting their ene…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice NHS boards are giving to pregnant epileptic women who are taking sodium valproate to control their condition.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In March 2018, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued new measures to limit exposure to sodium valproate in utero, including the adoption of a Pregnancy Prevention Programme. Following this, new and strengthened information materials for healthcare profe…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments are being, or will be, undertaken to understand any risks associated with the epilepsy drug, sodium valproate, and its reported potential ability to cause autism in babies in utero.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: A 2017 review of the use of sodium valproate in pregnancy by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) found that babies exposed to sodium valproate are at higher risk of malformations or developmental problems. Following this review, the EMA agreed new measures to…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is currently available on the fees for people who are self-funding social care, and what body oversees any appeals process.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The amount self-funders pay for their care home costs is a contractual matter between the individual and their care home provider. This agreement is protected by consumer protection laws. Guidance on Social Care is on the Scottish Government website: Social…

14 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether guidance on visiting care homes will be changed in light of the relaxation of other COVID-19 measures.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government issued a letter to adult care homes on ? 24 March 2022 outlining updates to guidance including visiting. The Scottish Government fully expects care homes and local health protection teams to support people living in care homes to have …

11 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to inform people that COVID-19 recovery certificates, which are needed for travel to some countries, will not be generated from lateral flow tests.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are aware that there will be situations where those looking to travel will have tested positive for COVID-19 using an LFD test since 11 January 2022, when confirmatory PCR testing was no longer required. Further information is available from NHS Inform .…

11 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce COVID-19 recovery QR codes based on self-reported lateral flow tests, on the NHS Scotland COVID Status app.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Recovery certificates contained within the NHS Scotland Covid Status App adhere to the standard set by the European Commission, through the EU Digital Covid Certificate scheme which Scotland is a member of. This recognised standard does not allow for unsuperv…

11 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that identifying details, such as name and date of birth, can be displayed on the Test and Protect website following a positive COVID-19 lateral flow test being recorded through the UK Government website.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Anyone who reports a positive LFD test through the UK Government website is directed to complete a contact tracing form at a website hosted by Test and Protect. To complete this form, the individual must input their surname, date of birth, and input a unique …

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm if massage and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services are included in the definition of independent commercial wellness services, for the purposes of determining eligibility criteria for close contact business support grants.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Businesses offering only massage and complementary and alternative medicine services were not within the scope of the Close Contact Services Fund. The Close Contact Fund was targeted at businesses impacted by the necessary public health restrictions introduce…

9 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of removing rates relief on small businesses after the first quarter of 2022-23.

2 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce legislation to ensure that electrical infrastructure in residential parks meets a 64-amp standard, which is approximately the present rate for a brick house, (a) in new sites and (b) when upgrading existing faulty cables on established sites, in order to en…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government does not have a role in legislating on electrical infrastructure. The Electricity Act 1989 and the regulations under the Act are reserved to the UK Government.  

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the work it is doing to ensure that doctors are equipped to identify the early signs and symptoms of an eating disorder.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: During Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2022, we welcomed the training offer that Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, has developed to ensure that our future workforce feels confident to support anyone who comes forward with concerns about disordered eating…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many vouchers have been received in each local authority area as part of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Figures for vouchers requested, vouchers issued and installations completed to date through the use of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme are provided in the following table:  INTERIM VOUCHER SCHEME MAIN VOUCHER SCHEME Local Authority Vouchers Req…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme will be extended beyond the 31 March 2022 deadline.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Only the interim voucher portion of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) – worth up to £400 per connection – is closing on 31 March 2022, and there are no plans to extend it beyond this date. The main voucher portion of the R100 SBVS – worth…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to stimulate demand for competition between broadband and fibre infrastructure providers in local authority areas where there are only single operators.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Telecoms is entirely reserved to the United Kingdom Government, which means that the Scottish Government does not have the powers to intervene in commercial matters. Therefore, in the absence of further action by the UK Government, it is ultimately up to supp…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether people who moved from Scotland to other parts of the UK in the last year will be able to take part in Scotland’s Census 2022, which was delayed from March 2021 when the UK census took place.

Answer · Angus Robertson: As the censuses across the UK are taking place at different times, people moving from Scotland to other UK countries before March 2022 will not participate in Scotland’s Census 2022. However, the primary objective for the census is not to collect a record of…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it encourages British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders from Hong Kong to resettle in Scotland, what information it has on how many have done so in the last five years, and how such numbers can be monitored.

Answer · Neil Gray: Yes, Scotland is a welcoming nation and tose who decide to come to Scotland from Hong Kong and elsewhere will be welcomed for the positive contribution they will bring to our communities, economy and society. The Scottish Government have published a dedicated…

25 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on capacity at substations for connections for renewable projects over 50Kw.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The capacity of any substation within Scotland’s Network distribution licence areas is directly available to the public for the higher voltages sections of the network and by enquiry for the low voltage domestic end. Information on this can be found at – Lo…

24 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is a signatory to an Openreach Fibre Community Partnership programme, in light of its announcement of 14 December 2020 regarding the contract with Openreach worth £384 million for the R100 North of Scotland Lot.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is not a signatory to Openreach’s Fibre Community Partnership programme. The Fibre Community Partnership is a commercial offering, and has no direct link to the £384 million R100 North contract. As a registered supplier for the R100 Sc…

24 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly investing £28.75 million of funding through the Scottish 4G Infill programme for up to 55 4G masts, in light of policy relating to telecommunications currently being reserved to the UK Government.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI) was established in 2017 to address clear market failure and mitigate the absence of any policy from the UK Government at the time to tackle rural notspots. When we established S4GI, the UK Government’s earlier Mobile In…

23 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether fluoride will be added to the public water supply in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: There are currently no plans to add fluoride to the public water supply nationally. However, the Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985 continues to enable Health Boards, with the support of local communities, to ask Scottish Water to introduce water fluoridation. Whe…

23 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether kitchens with a log burner should have a smoke and heat alarm installed, or only a heat alarm.

Answer · Shona Robison: The new standard requires an alarm in a kitchen and in most cases this should be a heat alarm. In a kitchen with a log burner, a heat alarm should be installed to avoid false alarms. As there is a log burner in this area, a Carbon Monoxide alarm will also be…

23 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how a complaint can be raised when private care homes are believed not to be providing proper services.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Anyone concerned about the standard of care provided by a registered service can raise a complaint with the Care Inspectorate, the independent scrutiny and improvement body for social care and social work across Scotland. The Care Inspectorate have a statutor…