Alexander Stewart

2 Oct 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnet consequentials arising from the UK Government's expenditure on Brexit preparations, and how it has allocated this.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has been allocated £139.4 million from the UK Government as a consequential of EU Exit preparation funding over 18-19 and 19-20. £98.7 million of this has been received and of this, £98.25 million has been spent on a raft of preparator…

1 Oct 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call by ASH Scotland for a joined-up approach to services relating to tobacco and other health-harming substances.

23 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement in April 2018 that £10 million would be made available to councils for road maintenance, what the estimated total costs of road repairs are in respect of (a) A, (b) B and (c) minor roads; how much has been budgeted for in each category, and what the timescale…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government provided Scotland’s local authorities with an extra £10 million on 16 May 2018 in recognition of them having had to incur unexpected additional road and winter maintenance costs following the severe weather in the early part of 2018. I…

20 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated or plans to allocate to support communities seeking to mark important milestone anniversaries in 2020 of events in the Second World War, such as the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the 75th anniversaries of VE- and VJ- days.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government is still considering how it will support Second World War commemorative events in 2020-21. We will announce our funding plans for 2020-21 when we publish the Scottish Budget. The date of this will be decided in due course. We are curre…

17 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress Social Security Scotland is making with the IT infrastructure for wave 2 benefits.

10 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the satisfaction level of local schools in the Scotland's People Annual Report 2018.

27 Aug 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve GP recruitment and retention in Fife.

10 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle safety concerns in Fife hospitals.

5 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have received training about autism in the last year, broken down by NHS board, and what its position is on whether (a) there is a need to accelerate the implementation of this training and (b) such training should be mandatory.

Answer · Clare Haughey: This information is not centrally held. The Scottish Government recognises the need to ensure that health professionals have the knowledge and skills in autism relevant to their role. We are working with NHS Education Scotland whose role it is to provide sup…

5 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have established a recording system to monitor staff learning and training about autism, and what analysis is made of the effectiveness of each system.

Answer · Clare Haughey: This information is not centrally held by the Scottish Government and is a matter for individual NHS Health Boards. We expect all boards to monitor and record training and development undertaken by their staff. With respect to autism training, the NHS NES Aut…

5 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received from the Autism Strategy Review Group regarding how NHS boards train staff about autism.

Answer · Clare Haughey: NHS Education Scotland (NES) is the special board responsible for supporting NHS Boards in education and training. We have commissioned NES to support boards by providing autism training and resources. We meet NES regularly to discuss training however, indivi…

5 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with each NHS board regarding whether they use the Autism Training Framework for staff training and development.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people in Scotland. We are committed to implementing the priorities as laid out in the refreshed Scottish Strategy for Autism Outcomes and Priorities 2018-2021. We commission NHS Educa…

3 May 2019 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in light of recent analysis, which suggests that a record number of Scotland's shops closed in the first three months of the year.

30 Apr 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to the latest unplanned flarings at the ExxonMobil Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran.

19 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its Budget has had on local authorities.

7 Mar 2019 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the ongoing issues with the car park barrier system.

4 Mar 2019 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of paramedics signed off work with depression or stress increased by more than 40% last year.

26 Feb 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent news release by the Scottish Crofting Federation stating that many crofters believe that their incomes have been significantly affected by wildlife.

20 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, since 2007, ministers have approved 105 wind farm applications that had previously been rejected by local authorities, and that all local authority decisions in Clackmannanshire were overturned.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Our energy and climate change goals mean that onshore wind will continue to play a vital role in Scotland's future - helping to substantively decarbonise our electricity supplies, heat and transport systems, thereby boosting our economy, and meeting local and…

29 Jan 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to help pupils affected by the closure of the New School in Butterstone.

Answer · John Swinney: The Board’s decision to close the school is an extremely sad event and I am aware of the impact this has had on the whole community, and especially the young people who attended the school. Since the Board made its decision to close, all seven local authorit…

23 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding the need to ensure that land is available to create an effective transport hub with bus/train interchange and active travel provision in respect of the Levenmouth Rail Link.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The evidence from a completed and robust transport appraisal in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance is needed before consideration could be given to the development of any emerging project. Transport Scotland is leading the transport appraisal wor…

23 Jan 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a summary of information that was received by the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations during his recent ministerial visit to Belgium.

Answer · Graeme Dey: On 21 January the Cabinet Secretary visited the Port of Zeebrugge and met with its Managing Director Mr Joachim Coens. This was an opportunity for the Cabinet Secretary to see first-hand the infrastructure and technology that the port applies for roll-on roll…

16 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its reaction is to reports that NHS Forth Valley is planning to remove the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit at the Royal Hospital in Larbert and that this could subsequently lead to the closure of the tele-health rehabilitation service offered at Clackmannanshire Community Health Centr…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Forth Valley has confirmed that they a trialling a reconfiguration of local pulmonary rehabilitation services to effectively shift the balance of care from the acute site to more accessible local venues at the Peak in Stirling and Grangemouth Sports Centr…

9 Jan 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NHS Forth Valley being escalated to Stage 3 on the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework.

18 Dec 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the single-person discount for Council Tax.

12 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some adults in Fife are waiting up to 11 months to be seen by a mental health specialist, and what plan it has to conduct a review of NHS Fife’s adult mental health support.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Recent data show that the average wait for treatment for psychological therapies in NHS Fife was 10 weeks (Jul-Sept 2018). However, some people are still waiting far too long – 7.4% waited over a year to be seen. We are deeply disappointed that despite mental…

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting has been for people with pancreatic cancer to begin treatment in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold data on average waiting times for Pancreatic Cancer. Tables 1 and 2 present information on the median wait in days for NHSScotland eligible referrals with a newly diagnosed primary Upper Gastrointestinal Hepatopancreatob…

7 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call by Pancreatic Cancer UK for people with the condition to begin treatment within 20 days of diagnosis.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to introduce a differential target for pancreatic cancers. In Scotland there are 2 cancer waiting times standards these are:a 31-day target from decision to treat until first treatment for all new cancersa 62-day…

6 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5O-02462 by Jeanne Freeman on 24 October 2018 (Official Report, c. 5) and S5W-20199 by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 December 2018, whether it will confirm what progress has been made in its discussions with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, and by what date it …

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In line with the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities, which sets out that everyone has the right to have their needs taken into account when receiving NHS services in Scotland, there is already a lot of work underway to help people with long term r…

27 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the call by Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland for it to invest in a universal and equal right to pulmonary rehab for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-02462 on 24 October 2018 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11724&i=106125