- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any reports of the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme making a difference to any international medical graduates experiencing microaggression or racial abuse.
Answer
There are no reports on the impact of the Softer Landing, Safer Care Programme however NHS Education for Scotland (NES) works with service leads to ensure all learners work within inclusive environments. A comprehensive strategy exists through NES’s ‘Advancing Equity in Medical Education’ workstream that ensures trainees are not exposed to discriminatory behaviours. Trainees can report such behaviours through the trainee surveys and there is a mechanism within the NES Quality Management structures to address such concerns. NES offers a range of interventions to support inclusive workplace behaviours.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the spread of avian influenza, following the outbreak in Kirriemuir.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2025
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what further details it can provide regarding what additional aid will be put in place to support people who may require assistance at railway stations, such as some older and disabled people, in the event that the proposed reduction in staffed hours at ScotRail station ticket offices is accepted.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s agreement to ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices is predicated on the condition that disabled travellers’ access to services will not be affected by these proposals.
Proposed adjustments to ticket office opening hours will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff not only to help deter anti-social behaviour, but also provide more and better assistance for passengers with ticket selection and purchase and enhance staff’s ability to provide assistance for disabled passengers. As part of the proposals, ScotRail will also install additional help points at stations where ticket offices are on a different level from the platforms, to assist passengers
ScotRail’s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance can be booked in advance with one hour’s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.”
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to prison staff on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
During seven weeks of training, new prison officers receive training on a range of strategies and interventions designed to support those in our care, this includes a dedicated learning outcome on the effects of alcohol use.
SPS Health and College teams are also conducting a scoping exercise which will help further identify Officer needs when supporting those in our care. This exercise will shape delivery of future training and will incorporate the newly published Mental Health and Alcohol & Drug strategies.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what further details it can provide regarding what plans it has in place to ensure the protection of women and girls in the event that the proposed reduction in staffed hours at ScotRail station ticket offices is accepted.
Answer
Once the plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having the ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve the feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which deters any potential anti-social behaviour.
Additional Travel Safe Teams will be on hand to support a welcoming rail environment and provide a better journey.
ScotRail has also invested £1.6 million- to triple the number of body-worn cameras and hired more staff for late-night trains in problem areas.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the first report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England, which was published on 11 December 2024, and whether it will consider introducing a similar scheme in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Drugs and Alcohol Workforce Action Plan 2023–2026 outlines a range of measures aimed at supporting individuals with lived experience of substance use to enter employment.
The Scottish Government is aware of, and is reviewing the implementation of, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) scheme for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England. The data linkage report published in December 2024 has provided valuable insights.
The Scottish Government regularly meets with representatives from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to share knowledge and best practice regarding workforce development. We will continue to collaborate with OHID and explore how the findings from the report may inform our ongoing approach.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when its population health framework will be published; whether this will include regulations to restrict the promotion of food and drink products that it considers are high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt content and, if so, by what dates it expects these restrictions to come into force.
Answer
The Scottish Government and COSLA are co-producing the Population Health Framework which will be published in Spring 2025. Extensive engagement has been undertaken throughout 2024 with public, third and private sector partners to support development of priorities and areas of action.
The public consultation on detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) closed on 21 May 2024. The Scottish Government will publish an independent analysis report of these consultation responses in early 2025, alongside next steps and timelines for future regulation.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any psychological impact of requiring women and girls to travel long distances for (a) maternity and (b) gynaecological care.
Answer
NHS Boards across Scotland are expected to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable; however, this must be balanced with ensuring the safety of all mothers and babies. All decisions about care throughout pregnancy, including around place of birth, should be made by women in discussion with their midwife and obstetrician. These decisions will take account of their individual needs and circumstances.
In support of this, and recognising the importance of the relationship between women and their midwives during the pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey, we continue to implement continuity of carer within maternity services, a key recommendation of . The Scottish Government’s reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that more women receive care and support from the same midwife from pregnancy through birth, prioritising those most likely to benefit, including women with additional social needs.
More broadly, our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health – throughout their lives. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings its ministers have had with representatives from (a) public health groups and (b) the food and drink industry, and whether the proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar were discussed.
Answer
From February – May 2024, the Scottish Government held a public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt. The consultation was run in parallel with a programme of extensive stakeholder engagement.
During the consultation period, I met with a range of stakeholders across public health groups and the food and drink industry. Several Ministerial roundtable events were held with stakeholders to discuss their views on proposals for regulations. We will publish the outputs of these roundtable events alongside independent analysis of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as set out next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.
Ministers meet regularly with a broad range of stakeholders including public health groups and industry to discuss a range of issues relating to public health policy.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of regulations restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar.
Answer
The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024.
We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps and timelines for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.
