Parliamentary questions
Oliver Mundell
1,091 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce any reported workforce pressures and unsafe staffing levels in the NHS.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is taking the necessary steps to support NHS staffing capacity. The Scottish Government is continually in contact with all NHS Health Boards to ensure that services have sufficient support to deal with COVID-19, manage other risks and …
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any sites that (a) NatureScot and (b) SEPA have spent public funds on, which are not Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Spending decisions on individual nature sites are operational matters for NatureScot and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). I have asked the respective Chief Executive's to write with relevant details.
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had to date regarding the potential impact on (a) local newspapers and (b) fair work principles of concerns reportedly raised by the National Union of Journalists in relation to Reach PLC.
Answer · Angus Robertson: While the Scottish Government has not been made aware of fair work concerns by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in relation to Reach PLC, it is keen to ensure fair work practices are adopted across the news publishing industry. The Scottish Government…
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support local newspapers.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the sustainability of local news publishers as a key part of the public interest news sector in Scotland. We recognise the value that local newspapers bring to their communities, and the important role they p…
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the use of drones to spray Asulox on inaccessible ground, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The authorisation of plant protection products (PPPs) is an area devolved to the Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers have arranged for functions related to regulating PPPs to be exercised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on our behalf. Whilst A…
29 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Section 70 complaint procedures under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provide an option for the complainant to consent to the publication of an unredacted version of the final decision they receive.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides that any interested party can make a complaint to the Scottish Ministers that a responsible body has failed to discharge a statutory duty relating to education. Following investigation of the complaint…
19 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09811 by Lorna Slater on 16 August 2022, whether it will provide a list of the stakeholders who are being engaged in the discussions.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Officials from all four UK administrations are engaging on the issue of sustainable long-term alternatives to the control of bracken. At this time, plans for stakeholder engagement have not been finalised. Initial talks with the Bracken Control Group have tak…
19 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that bus services are accessible to disabled people.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The legislation governing disabled access and vehicle construction is reserved to the UK Government. Since 1 January 2020 all coaches, single and double decker buses have had to be fully accessible. However, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring …
19 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the standard payment to private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers of early learning and childcare, per eligible child, at each age range for each local authority.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Childcare providers in the private, third and childminding sectors who deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) receive a sustainable rate from their local authority for the delivery of these hours. There is no standard payment and local authorities…
18 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has undertaken of local authority capacity to scrutinise and process large-scale windfarm proposals.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Ministers determine windfarm proposals exceeding 50 megawatts under the Electricity Act (1989) which is reserved to UK Government. Local planning authorities are statutory consultees under the Electricity Act and their capacity to scrutinise large s…
18 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to cover any financial costs and loss of earnings of community representatives who take part in planning enquiries.
Answer · Tom Arthur: In planning proceedings the parties are normally expected to meet their own expenses and expenses are only awarded on grounds of unreasonable behaviour. Unreasonable behaviour would be deemed if another party to the appeal has acted unreasonably and this cau…
17 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the final public cost has been of bringing the two giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was responsible for meeting the costs of bringing the giant pandas to Scotland in 2011. The Scottish Government made a financial contribution of £42,722.17 towards the planning, delivery and marketing of an arrival eve…
15 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is researching the introduction of a standardised computer tool for the screening of children to identify risk of reading failure.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Education Scotland are currently learning more about the evidence-based Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme and a related screening tool, Language Screen, which assesses four components of oral language skills. However, it is for individual …
1 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to expanding free nursery provision at the age of two to children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.
Answer · Clare Haughey: 1140 hours of high quality funded Early Learning and Childcare is available to all three and four year olds in Scotland, and two year olds who will benefit most. National eligibility criteria for access to funded early learning and childcare at age two is lar…
1 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are taken to ensure that standards are applied fairly across higher education when determining grades at undergraduate level.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10134 on? 19 August 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…
1 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it plays in monitoring whether best practice is followed by Scottish universities, regarding the moderation and cross-marking of student assessments.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has a statutory obligation under section 13 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 to secure that provision is made for assessing and enhancing the quality of higher education provided by fundable bodies in …
13 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many pre-clearing funded undergraduate university places were offered to applicants living in Dumfries and Galloway in 2022, broken down by institution.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: UCAS published acceptance statistics from 9 August for the 2022 Cycle, UCAS does not publish data broken down by local authority area.
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the benefits of near patient International Normalised Ratio (INR) testing, including in rural areas.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Near patient International Normalised Ratio (INR) testing is currently not routinely available on the NHS. However, INR testing is available through primary care settings for those who require it. Individual NHS Boards are responsible for providing services t…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact any long delays in answering NHS 24 111 service calls have on A&E services.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government recognises the impact long delays in call answering times at NHS 24 could have on A&E attendances. NHS 24 is focussed on ensuring that patients receive the correct advice immediately without a requirement to be placed in a queue, in li…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported delays on the NHS 24 111 calls service.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In the face of the substantial increase in demand placed on the service by the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS 24 continues to provide a highly effective, safe triage system to the people of Scotland. As a result of this increased demand, and changes to service deliv…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who has responsibility for (a) deciding on and (b) commissioning (i) new medical research and (ii) small scale patient studies.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government's Chief Scientist Office (CSO), through NHS Research Scotland, supports clinical research infrastructure that allows Health Boards, researchers, clinicians and industry to improve the quality, efficiency, coordination and impact of clinica…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed with Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS) what support can be provided to communities objecting to wind farms, and what its position is on whether the support available is adequate to help communities during inquiries by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (…
Answer · Tom Arthur: Scottish Government support for PAS enables community groups across the country access to planning advice on a wide range of matters which may be of concern to them, including wind farm developments. The experience of Reporters who hold inquiries in relation…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any loss of staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nursery sector to local authority nurseries and what reasons have been identified for any such trend.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The childcare workforce has grown overall as a result of the ELC expansion, with the latest data showing an increase of 26% between 2016 and 2020. The Scottish Social Services Council’s Stability Index (i.e. the proportion of staff who have been retained from…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints brought under Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 have been successful in each year since 2011.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides that any interested party can make a complaint to the Scottish Ministers that a responsible body has failed to discharge a statutory duty relating to education. Following investigation of the complaint…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authority areas are using (a) CEM and (b) GL assessments to obtain standardised data on their pupils and, if so, which ones, broken down by assessment type.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government does not collect the information requested .
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its policy on the future use of Asulox.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government position is that pesticides should be authorised on a case by case basis where the available scientific evidence shows they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health, animals and the environment. An emergency authorisation for the…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the literacy programmes used by schools.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish education system is set up in such a way that decision making is devolved to the most appropriate level, enabling local authorities to make choices that meet their local circumstances and needs. Within this empowered system, head teachers are res…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Primary One Literacy Assessment and Action Resource (POLAAR) was validated by international experts in early literacy acquisition.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The content of the resource was developed based on a survey of research conducted by Professor of Educational and Social Research at the University of Dundee, Professor Keith Topping.
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) the Langholm Moor Community buyout and (b) whether the project is of regional and national significance.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Community ownership is an important aim of the Scottish Government, where there are numerous examples of communities thriving after being given the opportunity to own and manage their own assets. This leads to better local outcomes, which focus on local needs…
12 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any patient concerns regarding the delivery of GP services in Dumfries and Galloway, including in (a) Moffat and (b) Lockerbie.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government is aware that NHS Dumfries & Galloway has experienced challenges with the delivery of GP services in Dumfries & Galloway including Lockerbie and Moffat. NHS Dumfries & Galloway is working with the new contractors in Lockerbie and Moffat …