Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-16918

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark Reusable Nappy Week 2023.

Whilst the Scottish Government have no official plans to mark “Reuseable Nappy Week 2023”, we promote and raise awareness of reusable nappies by including a voucher for 1 waterproof nappy wrap, with 5 stay dry nappy pads inside Scotland’s Baby Box.

As well as helping families to start using reusable nappies free of charge, the voucher also signposts families to the Scottish Government ParentClub website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies and provides helpful advice and tips on nappy use.

Question reference: S6W-16563

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce any financial measures to support (a) public leisure facilities and (b) schools, which have swimming pools.

Local sport and leisure facilities, including swimming pools, are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation.

We understand the challenging financial circumstances of operating and maintaining leisure facilities faced by local authorities, largely due to the cost of living crisis. It is the statutory responsibility of all local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, including swimming pools.

Following the announcement by the UK Government of the financial package to support swimming pools in England, we are considering what support, including ensuring the longer term sustainability and energy efficiency of these facilities, can be provided to the sport and leisure sector in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with sportscotland, local authorities, COSLA, Community Leisure UK and Scottish Swimming to understand the challenges facing swimming pools and leisure facilities.

Question reference: S6W-16622

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider conducting an inquiry into any recorded incidents of assault against on-duty Scottish Ambulance Service workers; whether it would consider introducing preventative measures based on the findings of any such inquiry, and whether it will consider providing additional support for any ambulance workers who have experienced assault and harm at work.

The Scottish Government does not plan to conduct an inquiry into recorded incidents of assault against on-duty Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) workers. SAS has assured the Scottish Government that they have a range of measures in place to help protect staff, including training and risk assessments. We will continue to work closely with SAS to monitor the safety and wellbeing of their staff.

NHSScotland has joined the multi-agency Your Safety Matters (YSM) initiative, led by Police Scotland. YSM aims to minimise incidents of violence and aggression in workplaces, through campaigns, sharing resources and good practice.

Abuse towards NHS staff is unacceptable, and the courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with those who carry out such appalling behaviour on emergency workers.

Question reference: S6W-16561

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) COSLA and (b) individual local authorities to discuss the viability of public swimming pools, in light of reported cost and funding pressures.

The Scottish Government places great importance on leisure facilities and believes everyone should have access to these services.

We are fully aware of the issues facing many sports facilities, particularly swimming pools, and the specific issue of energy costs has been raised with us.

Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has met with Community Leisure UK on a number of occasions to discuss the challenges and will also raise the issues facing public leisure facilities when she meets with COSLA shortly.

sport scotland, our nation agency for sport, continues to hold regular and ongoing discussions with its partners, including local authorities, COSLA, and Scottish Swimming (the sport’s governing body), to discuss the challenges facing the sporting sector.

sport scotland are supporting Scottish Swimming to deliver a Scottish Swimming Facilities Project. Scottish Swimming recently appointed a contractor to undertake the detailed piece of work to understand accurately the current pool provision, life cycle and predict the landscape in the short, medium, and long term. Conclusions are expected by July 2023.

In addition COSLA are member of the Active Scotland Delivery Group which considers how Scotland can become a more active nation and how we can collaboratively address the challenges we face.

Question reference: S6W-16562

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a swimming pool support fund to support public leisure facilities with swimming pools that are vulnerable to closure or service reduction, due to reported increased cost pressures.

Local sport and leisure facilities, including swimming pools, are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation.

We understand the challenging financial circumstances of operating and maintaining leisure facilities faced by local authorities, largely due to the cost of living crisis.

Following the announcement by the UK Government of the financial package to support swimming pools in England, we are considering what support, including ensuring the longer term sustainability and energy efficiency of these facilities, can be provided to the sport and leisure sector in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with sportscotland, local authorities, COSLA, Community Leisure UK and Scottish Swimming to understand the challenges facing swimming pools and leisure facilities.

Question reference: S6W-16564

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has invested in public swimming pool facilities in each year since 2016, also broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government places great importance on leisure facilities and believes everyone should have access to these services.

We understand the challenging financial circumstances of operating and maintaining leisure facilities faced by local authorities, largely due to the cost of living crisis.

For its part, the Scottish Government has increased the resources available to Local Government by over £793 million in 2023-24, a real terms increase of £376m or 3%. However, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

In addition sportscotland, our national agency for sport, works in partnerships with Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs), local authorities, leisure trusts, sports clubs and community organisations, schools, colleges and universities to provide opportunities for all to participate in sport. Since 2016, sportscotland has invested £621,200 into swimming pool facilities, via its National Lottery-funded Sport Facilities Fund programme. An annual breakdown is provided below.

2021-22 Aberdeen City - £100,000

2020-21 Argyll & Bute - £200,000

2018-19 Scottish Borders - £70,000

2017-18 Aberdeen City - £200,000

2016-17 Highland - £51,200.

Question reference: S6W-16929

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that planning authorities are able to recover financial contributions from developers in a timely and efficient manner.

Subject to the tests in Circular 3/2012 being met, planning obligations entered into under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 can be used to secure contributions from those carrying out development. Planning obligations are enforceable, including against successors in title where an obligation is registered in the Land Register of Scotland or the General Register of Sasines.

Question reference: S6W-15640

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an equal right of appeal in the planning system.

Question reference: S6O-02150

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on what progress has been made on its commitment to pilot access to universal free school meals in secondary schools.

Question reference: S6W-16991

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01240 by Humza Yousaf on 9 August 2021, how many deaths have been attributed to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in each year since 2019, broken down by (a) age group, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity.

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Chamber and committees