Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to promote the benefits of quality home economics education to headteachers and education managers.
Answer · John Swinney: STEM Bursary Scheme The Scottish Government has included home economics in the STEM bursary scheme which allows students to obtain a bursary of £20,000 to study for a PGDE in home economics. Home economics is the only subject in the curriculum which can addre…
10 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of quality home economics education to tackle Scotland's obesity crisis.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is clear that home economics plays a key role in providing children and young people with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to make positive health choices and live longer, healthier lives. Through Curriculum for Excellen…
10 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides regarding the teaching of nutrition and healthy food preparation as part of home economics education in schools.
Answer · John Swinney: Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) provides a broad set of national guidance to support schools in developing their curriculum. However, the specific content of teaching programme is decided by schools and local authorities in order to meet children’s and young …
1 Apr 2019 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on committing to the Waste to Wealth campaign, which asks organisations to investigate finding innovative ways to minimise waste.
Answer · Kezia Dugdale: The SPCB is committed to minimising waste and we are a Zero Waste Scotland Resource Efficiency Ambassador. We are familiar with the Business In The Community’s (BITC) Waste to Wealth campaign and have engaged in early discussions with them which we propose to…
1 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on committing to the Waste to Wealth campaign, which asks organisations to investigate finding innovative ways to minimise waste.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government works closely with Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to deliver Scotland's ambitious waste related targets and ZWS is a Wealth to Waste Commitment partner. The Scottish business community has a key role to play in preventing waste and promoti…
1 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) has taken and (b) is planning in response to the claim by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that there are 12 years left to mitigate the risk of catastrophic climate change.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees on 8 October 2018. On 15 October 2018 the Scottish Government, along with the UK and Welsh governments, wrote to the Committee on Climate Change to req…
1 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment in the Health Improvement Scotland report, Cervical Screening: Report on the Scoping Engagement Exercise for the Revised Standards, that a way to improve uptake with younger women would be to involve the Young Scot scheme, and what plans it has to look…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government welcomes the reference in the Health Improvement Scotland report increasing participation in the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme. This is a key objective for the Scottish Government and we are continuing to carry out a range of w…
28 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22153 by John Swinney on 23 March 2019, what the timetable is for the publication of guidance to support good record keeping practice.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to addressing all types of childhood adversity, and this is anchored in our long-standing, national approach of Getting it right for every child. Under the Getting it right for every child approach, services working with …
28 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22153 by John Swinney on 23 March 2019, whether it plans to record the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences.
Answer · John Swinney: The term adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was originally developed in the US in the 1990s in a survey of childhood adversity, current health status and behaviours. This question set has been adapted for use in many subsequent surveys across different coun…
26 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it proposes to improve transport links to Kirkliston.
19 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether education about Scotland’s role in the slave trade is part of initial teacher training or continuing professional development for history teachers.
Answer · John Swinney: Initial teacher education (ITE) programmes in Scotland are offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. For undergraduates aspiring to become history teachers, the University of Stirling offers a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) degree programme. Th…
19 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the report, Slavery, Abolition, and the University of Glasgow, by the university, which acknowledges the ways in which it has benefited financially from slavery and estimates the present-day value of all monies given to it, which were fully or part…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22254 on 28 March 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
19 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21243 by Christina McKelvie on 24 January 2019, how it supports local authorities and schools to incorporate the study of Scotland’s role in the transatlantic slave trade into school history curricula.
Answer · John Swinney: As set out in the answer to S5W-21243, it is up to teachers and schools to determine what is taught in classrooms. Curriculum for Excellence provides opportunities for young people to learn about current and past attitudes and values and historical events and…
19 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Slavery, Abolition and the University of Glasgow, by the university, how it will encourage other Scottish public institutions to undertake studies on Scotland's role in the slave trade.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: In December 2017 we published the Race Equality Action Plan outlining more than 120 actions we will take over the course of this Parliament to secure better outcomes for minority ethnic communities in Scotland. One of the commitments made is to mark the Int…
19 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider undertaking a study, similar to that undertaken by the University of Glasgow in its report, Slavery Abolition and the University of Glasgow, to understand how Scotland benefited financially from involvement in the slave trade.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22254 on 28 March 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
18 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out regarding the impact of (a) inbound and (b) outbound aviation pollution on communities, and whether it will publish the findings.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Local Authorities are responsible for monitoring and implementation of air quality improvements.
13 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in meeting its commitment in the Programme for Government to prevent adverse childhood experiences and reduce their negative impacts, and whether it plans to record or monitor the prevalence of these incidents.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is progressing cross-government action and partnership working to prevent and mitigate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). For example, we have expanded the Family Nurse Partnership across Scotland to support young first time mothers…
7 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that NHS boards recruit sufficient numbers of specialty doctors, staff grades and associate specialists (SAS Doctors) in ophthalmology to meet rising demand, in light of the recent Workforce Census for 2018, published by the Royal College of Ophthalmolo…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The National Ophthalmology Workstream developed in 2017 identifies mechanisms to determine that service capacity is adequate to meet clinical need. To promote long term sustainability, Scottish Government Officials are working with stakeholders on the future …
7 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase recruitment of ophthalmology trainees, in light of the recent Workforce Census for 2018, published by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which showed that there were 11 Deanery funded ophthalmology trainee posts unfilled in Scotland.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The data published in the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Workforce Census 2018 does not accord with that published by NHS Education for Scotland (NES), who are responsible for medical trainee recruitment in Scotland. The fill rate for vacancies in Ophthal…
7 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is it taking to ensure that NHS boards recruit a sufficient number of consultant ophthalmology posts to meet rising demand, in light of the recent Workforce Census for 2018, published by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which showed that NHS boards in Scotland are recru…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Under this government, the number of Consultants in NHS Scotland has increased by 51.3% to record high levels, with the number of ophthalmology consultants increasing by 45.5% over the same period (Sep-06 to Sep-18). The rate of ophthalmology vacancies has al…
5 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will receive the report of the one-year review of the operation of the Queensferry Crossing.
1 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial implications of the Damages (Investment Returns and Periodical Payments) (Scotland) Bill and a revised discount rate for NHS compensation budgets, and whether this will be reflected in future adjustments to the NHS budget.
Answer · Ash Denham: The Financial Memorandum which accompanied the Damages (Investment Returns and Periodical Payments) (Scotland) Bill set out the Scottish Government’s assessment of the financial implications of the Damages (Investment Returns and Periodical Payments) (Scotlan…
27 Feb 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it is making for business continuity with wholesale food providers in the event of a no deal Brexit.
27 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has made with the UK Government to ensure the distribution of recombinant clotting factor therapies for the treatment of inherited bleeding disorders if there is a no deal Brexit.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The UK Government has overall responsibility for EU exit contingency planning and for entry and any customs control at the UK Border. Since August 2018, the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has been leading on UK-wide contingency plans to secur…
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with Tradebe Healthcare to ensure the effective delivery of clinical waste management services.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The new framework agreement commenced on 1 February 2019, and will provide services related to the collection, treatment and disposal of healthcare waste. As part of the contract there is an implementation period of 26 weeks which is standard and advised for…
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to (a) minimise waste and (b) maximise recycling in healthcare.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Boards are required to develop and implement plans to reduce waste and increase recycling to meet the targets set out in the NHSScotland Waste Management Action Plan 2016–2020. The key waste regulatory requirements are outlined in the following table: Y…
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the components in the home screening kit for bowel cancer kit are recyclable.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The bowel cancer screening kit comprises of an outer envelope, a letter with instructions, an information booklet, a return postage-paid envelope and a test kit. The outer envelope, the letter with instructions, and the information booklet are all paper and …
21 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of The Queen's Nursing Institute of Scotland's project, Three Bridges-Promoting Blood Borne Virus (BBV) wellness within Police Custody Suites, what its position is on (a) including BBV-testing as part of a package of care and (b) implementing an opt-out testing …
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is committed to eliminating hepatitis C as a public health concern, and is supporting work to improve opt-out testing in prisons as we recognise that this population is at particular risk. We are providing funding of over £2m between 2…
20 Feb 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of emergency workers’ time is lost due to mental ill health.
11 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to help reduce the volume of microplastics in the environment and the sea.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government's focus is to both reduce and prevent this source of microplastics pollution. We have many policies under the frameworks of our Marine and National Litter Strategies, as well as commitments in our Programme for Government to reduce all…