Jamie Greene

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Scotland staff are currently employed in primarily equality and diversity-focused roles, and how much of the NHS budget has been allocated towards employing equality and diversity staff in each year since 2020.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested on how many NHS Scotland staff are currently employed in primarily equality and diversity-focused roles, and how much of the NHS budget has been allocated towards employing equality and diversity staff in each year since 2020 is not …

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the WPI Economics February 2023 report, Bus and Coach: The route to net zero in Scotland.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government welcome the report’s focus on contributing to delivery of Scotland’s statutory Climate Change Targets. Some of the recommendations align with Scottish Government existing actions to support the bus sector, including £113 million fundi…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the downloading and use of TikTok on civil servants' phones, in light of reports of potential privacy and security concerns.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Scottish Government officials have access to Corporately Owned Privately Enabled (COPE) mobile devices. They are built with business in mind but with the flexibility to allow the users to install other applications. These devices are securely configured in li…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards implementing the recommendations of the June 2021 report to the Scottish Government, Bringing Home the Bacon: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Scottish Pig Sector.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The 'Bringing Home the Bacon: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Scottish Pig Sector' report was part of the Farmer-Led Group initiative to develop advice and proposals for the Scottish Government on how to cut emissions from agriculture. The Scottish…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to tackle any increase in the number of feral pigs in Scotland, in light of reported concerns raised by rural stakeholders.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The primary responsibility for controlling feral pig populations in the wild lies with land managers who should work in partnership with local communities. It is an offence under Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release any type of pig,…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its priorities under the 2022 Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) programme were met, including its priority to make available 400 hectares of publicly-owned land to new entrants.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Mairi Gougeon: From the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) programme, seven of the eight 2022 priorities have been met. They made 265 hectares of publicly-owned land available to new entrants in 2022, with an additional 263 hectares, originally pla…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mark World Milk Day 2023.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to support World Milk Day 2023 but will consider this with the relevant stakeholders. The Scottish Government provides support to both the Dairy Growth Board and the Dairy Hub, managed by NFUS, and sup…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any specific actions it is taking to reverse the reported long-term decline in the number of dairy herds, and what its most recent estimate is of the number of dairy herds.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is aware that figures released by the Scottish Dairy Cattle Association (SDCA) in January reveal an annual reduction of the number of dairy herds in Scotland to 804 herds. In their news release to accompany the publication of dairy he…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been dispensed for livestock worrying since November 2021, and what the total value was of any fines.

Answer · Keith Brown: From November 2021 to December 2022 (the most recent available data), six fines were dispensed for charges under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, section 1(1)&(6). The value of these fines are in the following table: Table 1: Fines dispensed betw…

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14658 by Keith Brown on 22 February 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of the statistics by local authority area.

Answer · Keith Brown: The requested information on the number of recorded crimes of having in a school an article with a blade or point, split by local authority area, is provided below. As with the national picture, at least part of any reduction at the local authority level duri…

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of a crime of animal cruelty, of any kind, in each year since 2016, and, of those, how many were given a (a) lifetime and (b) temporary ban on owning animals.

Answer · Keith Brown: The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table. Number of people convicted for animal cruelty offences, where main charge, 2016-17 to 2020-21.  2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 202…

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to legalise the use of water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 allows for new methods of body disposal and we intend to regulate alkaline hydrolysis (also known as water cremation) for use in Scotland. However, all types of body disposal must be equally safe and dignified. We …

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated survival rate is in Scotland following a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not held centrally by The Scottish Government.  

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Minister for Transport has (a) visited in-person and (b) met representatives from (i) Glasgow Airport, (ii) Edinburgh Airport, (iii) Glasgow Prestwick Airport and (iv) Aberdeen International Airport since being appointed.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Since my appointment as Minister for Transport, I have visited Edinburgh Airport and met officials on one occasion in person with a further meeting held virtually. I have met virtually the CEO of AGS Airports, who own both Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports, for a…

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service court transcripts contract is due for renewal; whether it will be put out to tender, and what its position is on this matter.

Answer · Keith Brown: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days  

21 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of railway stations are currently equipped with defibrillators.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: There are currently 56 stations equipped with defibrillators across the 359 railway stations on Scotland’s Railway. This includes stations with some of the highest footfall across the Scottish network, including Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Paisley…

21 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many visits the Zero Waste Scotland Deposit Return Scheme website has had in each month since it was launched.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Zero Waste Scotland website pages for the Scotland Deposit Return Scheme were launched in May 2019. Data on the number of visits to these pages has been made available to the Scottish Government for the period between September 2019 to 9 March 2023, total…

20 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings in the WWF report, Affordable Warmth: Next Steps for Clean Heat in Scotland, in light of reports that Scotland will fall "significantly short" of its target for decarbonising heating in homes.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: I am grateful to WWF Scotland for this contribution to the important discussion on how we cut emissions from our homes and buildings while – critically - ensuring a just transition for all households. The WWF is an important stakeholder, and a strong supporte…

14 Feb 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on small-scale drinks producers.

14 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to new data showing that the number of registered businesses in Scotland has reportedly fallen to its lowest since 2016, including the number of large companies with 250+ employees.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The number of registered businesses in Scotland in 2022 was 175,175, which was down 1.1 per cent on 2021, but was 1,180 higher than in 2016. Registered businesses account for less than half the total number of businesses: the overall number of businesses (360…

14 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of upskirting were received by Police Scotland in the most recent year for which data is available, broken down by the number that (a) were investigated, (b) resulted in prosecution and (c) resulted in conviction.

Answer · Keith Brown: The amendment to Section 9 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 provided for offences of 'upskirting' to be prosecuted under subsections (4A) and (4B). The Scottish Government does not hold information on investigations (question (a)). The answer to que…

14 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of Police Scotland Special Constables fell to 423 in 2022, compared with 1,394 in 2014, and what steps it is taking to increase the number of Special Constables.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is grateful to Special Constables who are an integral part of Police Scotland’s workforce mix. The Scottish Government does not collect data on Police Scotland’s Special Constable programme. Statistics on Special Constable numbers and…

14 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects ScotRail to complete repairs to the indoor shelter on platform 1 at Irvine Train Station, and how many days the shelter has been out of use.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Network Rail advised that some of the required repairs to the indoor shelter on platform one at Irvine railway station have already been completed. Network Rail expects to complete the final repairs in the next four weeks, depending on the agreement of a suit…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) counterfeit cigarettes and (b) kilograms of illegal tobacco have been seized by Police Scotland in each year since 2013.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.  

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals have been reported to Police Scotland for selling vapes and e-cigarettes to children and young people under 18, and how many of these sellers have been (a) charged and (b) convicted, in each year since 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have confirmed that for the period 2018-19 to 2021-22:- there have been 8 charges reported. Of these charges, 2 were convictions and 2 marked no further action. 1 charge was marked for a Direct Measure (Warning) …

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the issue of unauthorised tree felling with (a) property developers, (b) Police Scotland, (c) Scottish Forestry, (d) Woodland Trust Scotland and (e) NatureScot.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Forestry is the Scottish Government agency responsible for regulating forestry activities and leads on unauthorised felling. Scottish Forestry does not routinely discuss unauthorised felling with the bodies listed. Unauthorised tree felling may be…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that less than 1% of unauthorised tree felling cases, recorded between 2012-13 and 2020-21, resulted in successful prosecution, and what steps are being taken to increase the rate of successful prosecution for unauthorised tree felling.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: When Scottish Forestry receive a report of suspected unauthorised felling, investigations, including site visits and evidence gathering is then carried out. When investigations conclude that it is likely that unauthorised felling has occurred, Scottish Minis…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s latest PMI report, published on 13 February 2023, in light of reports that Scotland experienced the sharpest pace of contraction in incoming new business of the 12 monitored UK regions in January 2023.

Answer · John Swinney: Economic conditions across the UK are extremely challenging but the Scottish economy remains resilient and is outperforming the UK on employment, unemployment, and economic activity. Latest GDP data show that the Scottish economy grew 5% in 2022 and the UK ec…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the February 2023 Literature Alliance Scotland publication, Freelance Report, The experience of being a freelancer in the Scottish literature, languages and publishing sector.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises the substantial challenges that Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost crisis have presented to self-employed people and freelancers in the creative industries, including the literature, languages and publishing sectors.…

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of trespassing have been recorded on the (a) Forth Rail Bridge, (b) Forth Road Bridge and (c) Queensferry Crossing in each year since 2018; what the estimated cost of this was to the emergency services, and in how many instances the bridges were closed as a result.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Instances of trespassing recorded on the (a) Forth Rail Bridge, (b) Forth Road Bridge and (c) Queensferry Crossing each year since 2018, the estimated cost of this to the emergency services, and in how many instances the bridges were closed as a result is as …