Annie Wells

13 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under the age of 18 requiring non-forensic child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) tier 4 support have been treated in (a) adult mental health, (b) other adult and (c) paediatric wards in each of the last five years.

Answer · Maureen Watt: This data is not centrally held by the Scottish Government. The Mental Welfare Commission publishes an annual report showing the number of young people under the age of 18 who were admitted to non-specialist mental health beds https://www.mwcscot.org.uk/med…

11 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with developing the Glasgow low emission zone.

3 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13982 by Humza Yousaf on 29 March 2018, how much it estimates it will cost to change some of the initial steelwork already erected at the site.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I announced on 16 March 2018 that, following discussion with key stakeholders, a decision had been taken to take forward a greatly enhanced development at the North Hanover Street car park site at Queen Street station. At an investment cost of £80m this will …

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an update on year one of its Race Equality Action Plan.

Answer · Angela Constance: In the Race Equality Action Plan we committed to provide a progress report to Parliament in early 2021, setting out achievements and early thinking about the focus for the next Action Plan, which will cover the period 2021-2026. In line with the Independent R…

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in relation to its Equality Evidence Finder to prioritise identifying gaps, defining projects and working with research partners to improve evidence based on ethnicity.

Answer · Angela Constance: Scotland’s Equality Evidence Strategy, published in July 2017, outlines the Scottish Government’s plans to work in concert with its partner organisations and academic colleagues to strengthen Scotland’s equality evidence base. High quality equality evidence a…

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S5W-15191 by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018, whether it will publish the minutes of (a) each of the meetings that have been held and (b) the meeting that is planned for 27 March 2018.

Answer · Shona Robison: The minutes of the Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board's past meetings will be published in the course of the coming weeks, and minutes and summaries of future meetings will henceforward be published proactively.

19 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve support for pupils with additional support needs (ASN), in light of the number of teachers with ASN training reportedly falling from 3,248 to 2,733 between 2012 and 2017.

Answer · John Swinney: The Additional Support for Learning Act requires education authorities to identify, provide for and to review the additional support needs of their pupils. In order to meet these requirements it is for education authorities to ensure that appropriate resource…

19 Mar 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent further shop closures in Glasgow city centre.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government recognises that the retail sector in Scotland is transforming in response to, among other things, significant changes to shopping habits and through new technology. We are aware that some retailers are choosing to consolidate their por…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress being made by the Scottish Funding Council on producing guidance for universities and colleges to support them in developing and publishing their BSL plans by October 2018.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has provided funding of £1.3 million (2017-2020) to a coalition of organisations who promote BSL who will provide support to public bodies, including colleges and universities, to help them prepare BSL plans. This includes provision of…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on formally recognising Diabulimia as a medical condition.

Answer · Maureen Watt: NHS Scotland and clinicians use the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases as a way to categorise mental health disorders and diabulimia is not currently included. The Scottish Government and clinicians recognises that diabetes c…

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to new guidance from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding the handling of rape and sexual offence cases.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns that have been raised on the new guidance from Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the sensitivities around this issue. However, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is independent of the S…

13 Mar 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Gypsy/Traveller ministerial working group last met.

13 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S5W-09974 by Mark McDonald on 19 July 2017, what action it will take in response to reports in the Evening Times on 13 March 2018 that a teenage gang in Glasgow has been using the Snapchat app feature, Snapmap, to track and intimidate people.

Answer · Maree Todd: Instances where technology is abused to target innocent victims is a criminal matter and must be treated as such. Police Scotland must be allowed to make the necessary enquiries and the Scottish Government cannot comment on an on-going investigation. The Sco…

9 Mar 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to comments by Samaritans Scotland that the draft suicide prevention plan is “very disappointing”.

8 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter by the Minister for Public Health and Sport to the Health and Sport Committee on 10 July 2017, whether the Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board has been established and, if so, what meetings it has held.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board met for the first time on 7 September 2017, and again on 6 December. Its next meeting is on 27 Mar 2018, which it is devoting to the theme of law enforcement and mental health distress. It has also estab…

8 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the business, New Look, is planning to close stores in Glasgow and across the country, what its position is on the potential economic impact that this may have, and what action it is taking to support high street retailers.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I am concerned to learn that the fashion retailer New Look has announced plans for a Company Voluntary Arrangement that could result in the closure of eight stores across Scotland. We stand ready to offer support for any employees facing redundancy through ou…

6 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14586 by Shona Robison on 28 February 2018, when the first periodic review of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme will (a) begin and (b) report.

Answer · Shona Robison: Given that the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) has been in operation for just under one year and the clinical review of the impacts of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection is expected to report soon and may result in changes to the scheme criter…

22 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the Finance Director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the board faces a deficit of up to £20 million by the end of March 2018, and how it will work with the board to address this.

Answer · Shona Robison: As with all NHS Boards the Scottish Government expects NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to continue to focus on delivering existing savings schemes and to identify additional opportunities to deliver services within its resource allocation. In doing this it will…

21 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people have accessed services at each rape crisis centre in each year since 2014-15.

Answer · Angela Constance: Rape Crisis Scotland publish annual reports which detail the number of people who have accessed services at each rape crisis centres across Scotland. These annual figures are as follows: 2014-15 – 2,665 2015-16 - 3,315 2016-17 - 4,108

21 Feb 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the availability of more flexible hours in local authority nurseries.

13 Feb 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to improve support for pupils with additional support needs.

12 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking in light of reports that jobs could be lost at two major stores in Glasgow, and what discussions it has had or will have with Debenhams and Dunnes regarding the potential impact of job losses to the Glasgow economy.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We are disappointed at the news from Debenhams and Dunnes. Our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team are working to support any affected employees. The PACE team worked closely with the staff affected by the planned Dunnes Stores closures,…

9 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment set out in Proposal 5 of the report, Contaminated Blood: Financial Support: Conclusions and Recommendations, that "the operation of the schemes should be subject to periodic review in conjunction with beneficiaries".

Answer · Shona Robison: The operation of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme will indeed be subject to periodic review in conjunction with the scheme's beneficiaries. The scheme has an advisory group that includes representation from the third sector and organisations represe…

30 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13782 by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2018, what plans it has to set yearly targets in relation to zero-emission buses.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We have recently consulted on Low Emission Zones in Scotland. Local authorities have responsibility for designing Low Emission Zones, and will work together with Regional Transport Authorities and the Scottish Government to introduce Low Emission Zones that a…

25 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2018.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We fully support the aims of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2018 and we congratulate Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust on leading yet another successful awareness raising initiative to highlight the importance of cervical screening and its role in preventing cervic…

25 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the increase in cervical cancer mortality.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme cervical cancer is now preventable. Cervical Screening is offered to women aged between 25 and 64 and we encourage all eligible women to take up their invitation. Cervical screening saves around …

22 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a partially constructed building as part of the Queen Street Station building project is to be demolished.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Following the conclusion of Scottish Minister led discussions with key stakeholders, including Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, a decision has been taken to accelerate investment in the North Hanover Street site at Queen Street Station. T…

12 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many physicians there are involved in forensic medical examinations for sexual crime, broken down by gender.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) report on the provision of forensic medical services, states that as of March 2017, there are 81 doctors across Scotland who unde…

11 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Programme for Government 2016-17 to recruit up to 250 community link workers to work in GP surgeries by the end of the parliamentary session, how many were recruited by the end of 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: As stated in the Programme for Government commitment, 40 Community Link Workers were appointed in 2017 and were placed in practices in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire. In total we now have 53 Community Links Workers in post. From Ap…

10 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many zero-emissions buses were on public service routes by the end of 2017.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Based on the returns that we receive from bus operators claiming the additional low carbon BSOG payment there are 22 zero emission buses in public service. This includes 10 Hydrogen and 12 fully electric buses. Funding through the Scottish Green Bus Fund has…