Oliver Mundell

28 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing new ScotRail services to Lockerbie Station following its move into public ownership.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: There are currently no plans for ScotRail to operate passenger services from Lockerbie railway station as it is already served by other Train Operating Companies.

28 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people selected for jury duty in Dumfries and Galloway have been excused on the grounds that they cannot reasonably travel for jury duty in Ayr, since March 2020.  

Answer · Keith Brown: Court programming is a matter for the senior judiciary, supported by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS have advised that jury trials resumed in Dumfries and Galloway on 19 April 2021, and since then the number of people cited for jury dut…

28 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects jury trials to resume in Dumfries.

Answer · Keith Brown: Court programming is a matter for the senior judiciary, supported by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS advise that jury trials resumed in Dumfries Sheriff Court in April 2021. Under present arrangements, the jurors for these trials attend…

21 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role NHS boards have in monitoring the performance of dental practices treating NHS patients and the availability of NHS treatment.

Answer · Maree Todd: NHS boards are provided with monthly reports on the activity levels of practices providing NHS activity. We have set out through NHS Boards action plans for those practices with lower levels of activity with the intention of seeing substantial increases from …

21 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will grant an extension to businesses that were awarded grants through the COVID-19 Business Ventilation Fund but which did not receive notice from Dumfries and Galloway Council in time to have works carried out.

Answer · Kate Forbes: As stated in the Business Ventilation Fund Guidance published on 23 November 2021, the deadline for works to be completed was 31 March 2022, as the budget for this fund was only available for financial year 2021-22. The Scottish Government extended the dead…

21 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how NHS Scotland makes patient records available in the event that patients require NHS treatment elsewhere in the UK.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The exchange of factually accurate patient information is pivotal to the delivery of high quality, safe, patient centred healthcare whether it takes place locally, regionally, nationally in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK. Normal practice would be that where …

19 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the creation of specialist “Lead Teacher” roles.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Since the start of the pandemic the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £240 million of additional investment, over two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22), specifically for the recruitment of more education staff, and a further £145.5 m…

19 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist “Lead Teachers” have been recruited since the introduction of the programme in August 2021.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, and they are responsible for using the resources available to them to provide a complement of staff, including Lead Teachers, which meets the needs of each of their schoo…

6 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address antisocial behaviour, in particular in relation to repeat offenders.

Answer · Ash Regan: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that police and local authorities continue to have the powers and resources needed to address antisocial behaviour in our communities. This includes investing in prevention and early intervention. No single ap…

6 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07650 by Mairi Gougeon on 4 April 2022, what steps were taken to ensure that any required agricultural expertise was represented on the board of South of Scotland Enterprise.

Answer · Kate Forbes: South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) advertised for four new Board members in Autumn 2021. Applicants were asked to demonstrate evidence of their skills, knowledge and experience in one of three areas: land based industries; governance/strategic management; or…

6 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of (a) secondary and (b) primary schools have WiFi available for use in every classroom, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local authorities are responsible for determining how they deliver education in their schools. Decisions relating to the provision of digital technology are taken locally. As such, we do not hold this information centrally.  

28 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps will be taken to support schools in tackling bullying, in light of recent reports regarding the experience of primary school pupils in Dundee and Tayside.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is clear that bullying of any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed quickly whenever it arises. Each local authority is responsible for the care, safety and welfare of pupils in school in the authority area. All adults who work …

28 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported poor recording of bullying incidents in schools.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07687 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-committe…

24 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government action it is taking to ensure that agriculture expertise is represented in government agencies.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Where agricultural expertise is required in Ministerial appointees to Government agencies, the sponsor team for the agency may choose to integrate that into criteria for the role. The sponsor team should work with the public body and the Board Chair on this, …

15 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government action it is taking to ensure that agriculture expertise is represented in government agencies.

10 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is in place regarding night-time work on the trunk road network in proximity to residential properties.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Within its maintenance contracts, Transport Scotland have defined contractual restrictions on the times maintenance works can be carried out, to minimum disruption and other impacts on road users, communities and business. For example, typically road works ar…

10 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been, for children who have learning disabilities, to access treatment through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) once they have been referred, broken down by NHS board, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07353 on 25 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…

10 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been, for people waiting for treatment through specialist mental health services for adults with learning disabilities, broken down by NHS board, in each of the last five years.  

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This data is not centrally available. PHS are developing a patient level dataset, Child, Adolescent and Psychological Therapies National Dataset (CAPTND) and the Scottish Government has commissioned Directors of eHealth in NHS Boards, working with others, in…

10 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children who have learning disabilities are currently receiving treatment through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), broken down by NHS board. 

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This data is not centrally available; aggregated data for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Waiting Times is sent to Public Health Scotland (PHS) from each NHS Board. It does not contain explicit information on the number of young people who …

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it is putting in place to support tutoring ahead of the 2021-22 exam diet.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: On 1 February £4m of additional funding was announced to boost in-person Easter study support provision in schools and colleges. This funding should allow schools and colleges – or local authorities through authority-wide initiatives – to offer targeted sessi…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) funding and (b) other support it provides for school breakfast clubs.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Currently breakfast club provision in Scotland is delivered through a mixed model of in-school, private and voluntary services which often combine food provision with early morning childcare. Many parents will pay directly for breakfast clubs with costs varyi…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason premises in Class 7 under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997 are no longer exempt from the short-term let licensing legislation.

Answer · Shona Robison: Some premises listed in Use Class 7 (of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997) are exempt from short-term let licensing legislation. Schedule 1 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 (…

22 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason catteries and kennels were excluded from recent COVID-19 financial support.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is aware of the impact the necessary public health restrictions have had on businesses and our £375 million package of support for businesses was targeted at those who were the most immediately affected by measures introduced to contro…

22 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reported concerns of communities in managing urban gull populations.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Local authorities have the lead role in tackling nuisance caused by urban gulls. Where property is council-owned, local authorities are expected to respond to statutory nuisance complaints, such as where the deposit of bird droppings may have an effect on pub…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that disabled parking spaces are not being used by non-disabled motorists.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads with the local road authorities, including parking on local roads. They also have a duty under the Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009, in particular circumstan…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for how long after it is commissioned does a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) report remain valid and relevant.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The period a transport appraisal or business case, undertaken in accordance with STAG, is valid and relevant is dependent on the evidence and information provided in the report. The purpose of this evidence is to reflect the current conditions in the study ar…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will progress plans to reopen Thornhill railway station, in light of the station not being included in the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 that has been issued for consultation.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: A proposed station at Thornhill was assessed as part of the preliminary appraisal stage of second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The outcome of this was that this station reopening did not form part of the strategic transport investment recommen…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to a Scottish clinical trial of cannabis-based medicines.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government continue to support the development of clinical trials on the use of Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs). Through the work of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, we continue to engage with the National Institute for Health…

15 Feb 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for its decision not to publish the draft of the OECD report, Curriculum For Excellence: Into The Future, that it received in January 2021.

25 Jan 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-governmental discussion has taken place on the importance to the wider Covid Recovery Strategy of the continuing use of face masks, including in educational settings.