Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-03280

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s work to roll out the Carer Support Payment.

Question reference: S6F-03262

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03261

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03264

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported number of serious and fatal accidents on the A9 trunk road in recent weeks, what progress is being made on the dualling project.

Question reference: S6W-28101

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how frequently its ministers receive reports from its Marine Directorate on contaminants in marine animals.

The findings from contaminant testing undertaken in the Scottish marine environment, are reported to the Scottish Ministers in the form of Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 and the OSPAR Quality Status assessments, the most recent of which was published in 2023: Quality Status Report 2023 | OSPAR Commission . Monitoring data collected in 2021 will be used in the UK Marine Strategy 2024 assessment. These reports are compiled over a number of years and are not annual.

Question reference: S6W-27723

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what its response is to the recent employment tribunal judgement in relation to a former employee of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, who was held to have been discriminated against.

Question reference: S6W-27720

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its funding model for Rape Crisis Scotland, in light of any avoidable costs that have been incurred as a result of the recent employment tribunal case involving the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre and a former employee who was held to have been discriminated against.

Question reference: S6W-27945

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the proposed restrictions will have on the food and drink industry in Scotland, in light of reports that the industry is facing challenges due to regulatory burdens that increase the cost of doing business, the delay to the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, and uncertainty about the future of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

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. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.

The consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with business, including the food and drink industry in Scotland, to finalise the BRIA.

In addition work continues with the independent Regulatory Review Group (RRG) to support Scottish Ministers in improving the regulatory environment for businesses and their involvement in the process. This work includes scrutiny of proposals to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.

Question reference: S6W-27883

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-36131 by Maree Todd on 23 March 2021, what percentage of the 435 equity and excellence leads are in post; how many of the posts are vacant, and on what date all posts were filled, including to where the post-holder has since moved on.

Snapshot figures of graduate level posts in early learning and childcare (ELC) are published annually in Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland 2023. Data in the tables is gathered from centres (either local authority or partner provider centres) with children registered for the funded entitlement at the time of the Census. In 2023, this was collected from 11 – 15 September. As of September 2023 there were 364 (322 FTE) equity and excellence leads in post, which equates to 71% of those that are funded .

The majority of the Scottish Government’s funding to Local Government is provided through the General Revenue Grant. As of 2024-25, and in line with the Verity House Agreement, this covers all funding for statutory ELC provision, including for equity and excellence leads.

It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on ELC, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-27944

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of any unintended consequences of potentially introducing different restrictions to those that are already in place in England, including regarding any increase in bureaucracy and cost, in light of the acknowledgement in the Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the "inter-connected food environment in the UK".

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. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.

The consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to finalise the BRIA and further develop a full suite of impact assessments that will be used in the decision making process to help inform the final policy.

Chamber and committees