Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-18449

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason SEPA has suspended its policy on lochs that are impacted by high levels of phosphorous.

SEPA has not suspended or withdrawn its policy on lochs that are impacted by high levels of phosphorus.

SEPA has changed its approach to planning guidance and, where a loch is a priority for action under the Water Framework Directive, will now work with authorities on a case by case basis going forward.

SEPA’s policies relevant to phosphorus discharges to freshwater lochs are predominantly through the following documents:

WAT-RM-37: Regulation of phosphorus discharges to freshwater lochs

WAT-RM-21: Allocation of capacity and protection of the water environment

WAT -SG-91: Decision framework for addressing risks posed by excess inputs of nutrients

These documents were issued in July 2014, May 2016 and August 2017 respectively. They are are still in use and available on SEPA's website.

Question reference: S5F-02583

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 September 2018

To ask the First Minister, in light of the David Hume Institute report, Wealth of the Nation, what action the Scottish Government will take to improve productivity.

Question reference: S5W-18320

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to supplement the loss of funding for local authorities from the European Social Fund following Brexit.

Leaving the EU was not Scotland’s choice; the Scottish Government continues to try and engage meaningfully with the UK Government to avoid and mitigate the worst effects of exit on Scotland. This includes ensuring that powers repatriated from the EU on devolved matters are transferred to the Scottish Parliament immediately. The European Social Fund is reserved and the HM Treasury has guaranteed the Fund in the case of a no-deal exit. In the case of a deal being struck, the Fund will continue to be paid from the EU until the end of the current programme. The UK has announced a UK Shared Prosperity Fund to replace the funding from the European Social Fund. The Scottish Government continues to press the UK for details on both the size and scope of this Fund.

Question reference: S5W-18321

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether phase 2 funding from the European Social Fund will be provided to West Dunbartonshire Council to support the continuation of its Working 4U programme.

The Scottish Government invited applications for both new operations or for phase 2 extensions to existing activity in February 2018. Officials met with West Dunbartonshire on 22 August 2018 on their proposals for phase 2 funding of the Working 4U programme. It is for West Dunbartonshire Council to submit an application for funding which will be considered in line with the European Social Fund programme rules.

Question reference: S5W-18083

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Workplace Equality Fund had a focus on race and ethnicity, and how many of these applications were successful.

In Round 1 of the Workplace Equality Fund there were 19 applications that had a focus on race and ethnicity. One of these applications was successful in securing funding. Voluntary Action Fund (VAF), who manage the Workplace Equality Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government, have provided detailed feedback and offered support to the unsuccessful applicants to submit improved bids for Round 2 funding. They are currently working with interested applicants to support them with their bids for Round 2 funding and will continue to support organisations to submit applications before the close of Round 2 on
‎ 31 August 2018.

Question reference: S5W-18080

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many stakeholders engaged in race equality submitted an application to the Workplace Equality Fund, and how it encouraged such applications, in line with the commitments of the Race Equality Action Plan 2017-2021.

In Round 1 of the Workplace Equality Fund there were 7 applications from organisations who are primarily focussed on race equality. The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) who manage the Workplace Equality Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government, and Scottish Government have encouraged applications to the Fund through face to face meetings with stakeholders engaged in race equality, emails, social media campaigns, conferences and Ministerial events.

Question reference: S5W-18081

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which employability services and projects that it funds monitor users by ethnicity, and whether such information is collated and published.

The following employability services and projects monitor users by ethnicity:

Fair Start Scotland
Work First
Work Able
Health and Work Support Pilot
Employability Fund
Community Jobs Scotland
PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment)

The following programmes have published, or plan to publish, statistics on the ethnicity of service users:

Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland, published by the Scottish Government
Employability Fund, published by Skills Development Scotland
Fair Start Scotland statistics, published by the Scottish Government publication is planned for November 2018.

Question reference: S5W-18082

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the report from its Independent Adviser on Race Equality in Scotland, Addressing Race Equality: The Way Forward, what consideration it has given to designating the Fair Work Directorate as the overarching body to develop strategic thinking and a coordinated approach to delivering race equality.

The Race Equality Action Plan, published in December 2017, includes over 120 actions the Scottish Government will take over the course of this parliament to secure better outcomes for ethnic minorities in Scotland. The Action Plan is informed by the 72 recommendations in the Race Equality Adviser’s Report - “Addressing Race Inequality in Scotland: The Way Forward” published 11 December 2017.

The Action Plan covers 9 different categories covering a wide range of policy areas. We have established a Programme Board, with membership drawn from senior levels across the Scottish Government, including representation from Fair Work, to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan and provide strategic thinking and
‎ co-ordination.

Question reference: S5W-17784

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for imaging test results in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The Scottish Government is very much committed to ensuring all patients have swift and safe access to all parts of the patient pathway. Some aspects of performance within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are below the level required. That is why on 28 May the Scottish Government announced it was making ‎£50 million available to NHSScotland in 2018-19 to improve waiting times across the whole patient pathway. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have initially received ‎£5.6 million of this funding with a further £5.6 million to be issued shortly.

The Scottish Government has also provided an additional £1 million investment to the Scottish Radiology Transformation Programme which will roll-out new technology to enable consultants to access and report on diagnostic scans taken anywhere in the country - helping to address short-falls in capacity in some areas.

Question reference: S5W-17746

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether women from disadvantaged areas access breast screening services at the same level as women from more affluent areas and if so, what the difference is.

Two reports on breast screening uptake by deprivation have been produced by the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland and are available on the ISD website, http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Breast-Screening/ . Uptake of breast screening has been about ‎17-18% lower in women who live in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared with those who live in the least deprived areas.

Tell us your views

Chamber and committees