Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-10669

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement a new priority booking system, as part of the new ticketing system to be introduced by Caledonian MacBrayne in autumn 2022, similar to models reportedly used in Scandinavia, to allow islanders to book priority spaces on ferries at short notice, including for the delivery of goods and services.

Question reference: S6O-01429

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide additional financial resources for third sector organisations that are on the frontline in providing advice and support services as the cost of living crisis continues to deepen.

Question reference: S6W-10774

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of its review of Individual Placement and Support employability services.

Individual Placement and Support assists people requiring more intensive support to enter and sustain employment. The Independent review has considered the current delivery landscape and outcomes achieved by this specialist employment support programme, and made recommendations to build on best practice as well as identifying areas for further improvement. The Scottish Government intends to publish the report of the Independent review of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) before the end of 2022.

Question reference: S6W-10666

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) has been provided since 2019 and (b) will be provided to local authorities in order to comply with the Burial Ground Memorial Safety Guidance for Scotland's Local Authorities it published in June 2019, in particular to support local authorities to follow the options set out under the "Methods of Making Safe" section, broken down by local authority.

Responsibility for the routine maintenance, upkeep and management of burial grounds in Scotland rests with the relevant burial authority. A burial authority may be a local authority or a private owner. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (as amended), owners must ensure any premises they are responsible for are maintained to a safe standard for both employees and visitors. The was produced to assist local authorities meet their obligations to inspect and make safe memorials and headstones.

At this time the Scottish Government has no plans to provide financial support to local authorities for the maintenance of burial grounds.

Question reference: S6W-10778

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish a Dynamic Support Register, as recommended by the working group on complex care and delayed discharge in its report, Coming Home Implementation.

We have set out Scottish Government’s and COSLA’s commitment to implementing the key recommendations set out in the Coming Home Implementation report, which are essential to achieving our aim to significantly reduce delayed discharge and inappropriate out-of-area placements for adults with learning disabilities and complex care needs by March 2024.

Scottish Government are committed to working with local Health and Social Care Partnerships to achieving this aim and work to develop the Dynamic Support Register is underway and it will be established as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-10776

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation process will begin on the proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill.

The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill to ensure that the rights of autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people are respected and protected.

Informal consultation has already begun with 30 events involving 18 different organisations taking place as part of the scoping work undertaken between May and July 2022.

Final decisions on the exact timing of a formal public consultation will be taken and announced in due course.

Question reference: S6W-10667

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create through its agencies a capital funding stream for arts and culture projects, which could support the building of new theatre spaces.

The recent targeted review of the Capital Spending Review does not include a new funding stream dedicated to supporting new theatre spaces. The Scottish Government currently considers any request for capital funding of cultural venues on a case by case basis, dependent on a robust Business Case. We have provided £5.5 million towards the Citizens Theatre refurbishment, including a recent £1.5 million of additional support through Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, and will provide £6.5 million to support the King’s Theatre Edinburgh redevelopment.

Question reference: S6W-10779

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it can provide to people with sleep apnoea to cover costs of running treatment devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, in light of rising energy costs.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent price rises in the cost of energy will have on people, especially those using medical equipment at home, such as CPAP machines for the treatment of sleep apnoea.

Decisions about the reimbursement of energy costs associated with CPAP machines and other medical machines in individuals’ homes are made by NHS Boards. The Scottish Government continues to work with NHS Boards to address financial pressures across the healthcare system, including the impacts of the increase in energy costs. In May 2022, we published our Resource Spending Review that set out investment of £73 billion in health and social care to 2026-27.

The Scottish Government will also use the Emergency Budget Review to increase the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million in 2022-23. The Fuel Insecurity Fund is aimed at helping people who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely because they cannot afford their energy bills.

Question reference: S6W-10780

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of rising energy costs on people living with sleep apnoea who require the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and other electrical treatment devices.

Question reference: S6W-10775

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the draft legislation for the proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill will be developed through a model of co-production that will include people with learning disabilities and autism.

The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill to ensure that the rights of autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and neurodivergent people are respected and protected.

Across our work, we involve organisations led by disabled people and charities representing the views of a wide range of people who come under the learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity umbrella.

Our intention is that the Bill will be fully co-designed with people with lived experience, and we ran 30 events with 18 different organisations during the scoping work which took place between May and July 2022.

We are also establishing a lived experience advisory panel to support the development of the Bill. Details about the recruitment process for the panel will be available shortly.

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Chamber and committees