Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6F-03229

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government has made in reducing drug-related harm, in light of the latest quarterly statistics showing a 17% increase in suspected drug deaths.

Question reference: S6F-03223

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03239

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any implications for its policy for economic development in Scotland of the findings of the Resolution Foundation’s recent report on the UK’s economic and trade performance.

Question reference: S6F-03222

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03221

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-28032

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the NatureScot licensing review.

Question reference: S6W-27828

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to improve uptake rates for women living in Scotland’s most deprived communities.

The Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2022-23 report confirms that a greater percentage of women experiencing socio-economic deprivation have attended screening for the three year period 2020-23 when compared to the last reporting period.

While this is a positive trend, the Scottish Government continues to ensure work is carried out to address inequalities in uptake and access to screening. The Scottish Government has committed £3 million since 2021 to tackle inequalities in the programmes. This has supported Health Boards to develop initiatives to meet local needs, develop better data capabilities so interventions can be more targeted and work to raise the profile of screening among specific groups. In 2024-25, an additional £1 million will be provided to build on this work.

This funding will support the Scottish Equity in Screening Strategy, which was published July 2023 with Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland, and provides direction and focus to tackling screening inequalities.

In addition to this, the Executive Summary & List of Recommendations - Scottish Breast Screening Programme: major review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) published in 2022 noted recommendations to address breast screening inequalities. The Breast Screening Modernisation Board, chaired by Dr Marzi Davies, is currently taking forward these recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-27780

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported underlying causes of the recruitment and retention challenges within the childcare sector, such as gendered occupational segregation, low pay and poor working conditions, are being considered in the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession.

We are engaging closely with our sector wide stakeholder group and taking an evidence-based approach to developing and delivering actions to support Scotland’s childcare profession that include consideration of gender, pay and wider working conditions. This builds on the important work the Scottish Government has led to make Fair Work central to the delivery of the expansion of funded early learning and childcare (ELC).

In 2016, before the ELC expansion to 1140 hours, approximately 80% of practitioners delivering funded ELC in private and third sector services were paid less than the real Living Wage. The investment to support sustainable rates, and the ELC real Living Wage commitment has led to increases in pay across private and third sector services. Our Financial Sustainability Health Check, published 31 July 2023, reports that 81% of funded ELC providers in the private and third sector are now paying the real Living Wage to either all staff or staff delivering funded ELC.

In 2024-25, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £16 million to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded ELC to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This commitment could result in a £2,000 increase in the gross salary annual salary of a full-time childcare worker.

This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to provide funding to allow ELC staff in the PVI sector to be paid the real Living Wage.

Another key action we are taking forward is implementing a process for monitoring progress with providers paying the real Living Wage and re-establishing the ELC Fair Work and Real Living Wage Implementation Group.

These are critical steps towards addressing the recruitment and retention issues facing the sector today.

Question reference: S6W-27778

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession, which was committed to in the document, Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26.

Following the announcement of major new childcare commitments in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is re-considering the approach to publication of the strategic framework for the early learning and school age childcare profession. In the mean time we are continuing to work with the Framework Steering Group and other partners to support delivery of the actions developed as part of the original plan.

We have already provided local authorities with an additional £16 million in 24-25 to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to pay ELC staff in the PVI sector the real Living Wage.

In addition, we are progressing our commitment to growing the childminding profession by 1,000 and have funded the Scottish Childminding Association to develop a new national three-year programme of childminder recruitment and retention. We have also implemented a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fee waiver scheme for everyone joining the sector in fiscal year 2023-24 and launched a new national portal for continuous professional learning, which includes mental health and wellbeing resources.

We will continue to work with representatives from across the sector to understand key priorities for the ELC profession and how we can best support retention and recruitment.

Question reference: S6W-27807

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to NHS boards to help meet demand for adult (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments.

The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support local areas to improve their neurodevelopmental support and diagnosis for adults; this includes diagnosis for both autism and ADHD. Since we accepted the recommendations of the Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report last year, we have provided £567k for implementation to the NAIT. Nine of the 14 NHS Health Boards in Scotland now have Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathway Strategic Groups and five have a current Local Action Plan. Progress in this area remains a priority.

NAIT also published guidance in April (2022) regarding the prescribing of ADHD medication to adults following a private sector diagnosis in Scotland which can be read here .

NAIT’s guidance was constructed in consultation with practising psychiatrists, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatry and General Practice, as well as individuals with ADHD.

This guidance helps clarify the roles and responsibilities of both NHS staff and non-NHS providers.