Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-02995

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to expedite the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art, in light of it being nearly a decade since the first fire.

Question reference: S6W-26107

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the equality impact assessment for the proposed anti-racism observatory will be completed, and how it is ensuring that all communities affected by racialisation and racism will have an equal opportunity to participate in the (a) assessment and (b) development of the observatory.

Scottish Government officials are continuing to work with the design advisory group to establish the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). The design advisory group is providing expert support ahead of a procurement process that will select a host for AROS.

This is an important step forward in our journey to a fairer Scotland for all, and will build upon the Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group’s participatory research work with over 500 individuals from racially minoritised communities across Scotland.

We are committed to completing an equality impact assessment before AROS is established. We will engage with stakeholders to examine the evidence available and understand the impacts that may be felt by communities.

The establishment of the Anti-Racism Observatory is one part of our wider strategic approach to tackling racism. We continue to work with all our partners and stakeholders to achieve our ambition of eradicating racism in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-25983

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which financial institution has provided the Bank Refund Guarantee (BRG) for the two new vessels for the Little Minch routes between Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert that are under contract at Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey.

Question reference: S6W-26196

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many capital funding awards have been made from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) dental provider and (c) amount awarded.

Question reference: S6W-26198

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the fluoride varnish aspect of the Childsmile programme, and whether it plans to continue with this element of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-26195

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria dental providers must meet to benefit from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.

Question reference: S6W-26199

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to a supplementary to question S6O-03191 by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024, whether the ADHD medication, lisdexamfetamine, may be considered a specialist medicine so that NHS National Services Scotland could potentially explore alternative procurement options within devolved competence through its national procurement service.

Question reference: S6W-26197

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2024

To as the Scottish Government, further to the financial incentives for dentists to open new practices in remote and rural areas, what support is available for dentists who are already operating in remote and rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-26200

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can request that Police Scotland introduces biodegradable barrier tape to mitigate littering of the environment.

Question reference: S6W-25924

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will confirm the budget for the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for 2024-25.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has been a positive development in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our local communities, with approximately 3300 grants made to local projects across Scotland in the first two years alone.

We are committed to providing this Fund going forward and are currently in the process of finalising mental health budgets for 2024-25. We will be able to confirm the amount of this funding once the budget allocations have been approved.

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