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: S6W-21777

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20608 by Christina McKelvie on 30 August 2023, what percentage of children aged between 11 and 15 have taken part in a sport activity in each of the last five years.

The most recent data from the Scottish Health Survey on sports participation by children aged between 11 and 15 in each of the last five years is detailed in the following table.

Percentage of children (aged 11-15) participating in any sport in the last week, SHeS 2016-2021*
					%
Any Sport?	2016	2017	2018	2019	2021
Yes	70	67	60	65	65
No	30	36	40	35	35
* Data for 2020 was not comparable due to the impact of the pandemic on data collection.

The 2022 SHeS report is due to be published at the end of this year.

Question reference: S6W-21801

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is undertaking any work to address mental health and wellbeing issues in the context of employment support.

The Scottish Government works in partnership with Local Government and Local Employability Partners to offer key worker led, person-centred holistic support. At a local level they work in communities and with partners to deliver employability services to those who are experiencing or are at risk of becoming long term unemployed and this includes people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

Supported employment including Individual Placement and Support can offer assistance to those requiring intensive and specific help especially those with severe and enduring mental ill health.

These evidence-based models of delivery help people find or re-enter sustainable employment that fits their needs and interests. It offers intensive, individual support, rapid job search followed by placement in paid employment in the open labour market, and time-unlimited in-work support for both the employee and the employer.

We are working with a range of partners, to inform options on development of the Supported Employment offer which is currently delivered through Fair Start Scotland. From 2024 this type of support will be made available through our No One Left Behind approach with the Local Employability Partnerships.

Question reference: S6W-21911

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to implement the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 for all witnesses and complainers in cases that involve all charges specified in the act.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the provisions of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 to ensure that the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence extends to children and adult deemed vulnerable witnesses.

While the presumption does not currently apply beyond children giving evidence in specified cases in the High Court, the Court does have the power to, upon application of either the prosecution or the defence, direct that the evidence of other children and vulnerable adult witnesses should be pre-recorded. This is provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and in 2017 the High Court issued a practice note to give guidance around the use of evidence by commissioner hearings. Evidence by commissioner hearings are therefore regularly being conducted to pre-record the evidence of a wider cohort of witnesses that are not yet covered by the statutory presumption.

Question reference: S6W-21858

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Heat in Buildings Workforce Assessment Project outlined in its Heat in Buildings Strategy.

In partnership with Scottish Renewables, we commissioned Climate Exchange to conduct a research project with the aim of assessing the ‘clean heat’ and energy efficiency workforce and the potential required workforce that would be needed to meet the targets set out within our Heat in Buildings Strategy. The report was published in July 2022 and can be found here - https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/clean-heat-and-energy-efficiency-workforce-assessment/

The report was used to inform the development of our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan which was published in November 2022.

Question reference: S6W-21802

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to offering funding for employability services on a multi-year basis.

Question reference: S6W-21800

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to offering further support to local authorities for (a) data collection and (b) reporting on the (i) No One Left Behind and (ii) Young Person's Guarantee programme.

Data collection and reporting for devolved employability services delivered under the No One Left Behind approach occurs quarterly, with provision in all 32 Local Authority areas aligning with the Employability Shared Measurement Framework. To support this, we have worked with Local Authorities in their Lead Accountable Body role to develop a single reporting template, and accompanying guidance, which has been made publicly available. This reporting contributes to our quarterly statistical publication.

Data collection and reporting has been a key theme identified in our recent national stakeholder discussion events and the actions will be reviewed to identify how we can improve. This will be outlined in the Strategic Plan and National Improvement Plan which will be published later this financial year.

We will continue to work with partners to refine data collection and reporting practices, including identifying where additional support would be beneficial.

Question reference: S6W-21745

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to apply its proposed Energy Performance Certificate reforms to traditional buildings, and whether consideration has been given to changes to the building standards or minimum energy requirements for such properties.

The Climate Change Committee has previously written to the Scottish Government setting out a series of recommendations for the reform on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). In response to this advice, the Scottish Government published a consultation on EPC reform on 25 July 2023. This consultation highlights proposals to revise the information displayed on EPCs by expanding the current suit of metrics and reporting other relevant information. This would provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners for all types of buildings. The consultation on EPC reform does not cover Scottish Government proposals to ensure homes reach a particular standard of energy efficiency or decarbonise their heating systems. This will be subject to a separate consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill planned for later this year.

An EPC assessment for existing buildings is a non-intrusive survey and so the methodology makes assumptions based on the age and characteristics of the building. Our consultation highlights that we are reviewing the assessment and quality assurance processes to enhance the accuracy of EPCs.

The Scottish Government does recognise it may be more challenging for some homes and buildings to meet the proposed energy efficiency standards than for others. We will work with stakeholders, including Historic Environment Scotland, to develop approaches and solutions to transition Scotland’s traditional buildings, where it is technically feasible and cost effective, to achieve a good level of energy efficiency and transition to zero direct emissions heating while respecting and preserving the special characteristics of our historic buildings.

Question reference: S6T-01598

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement issued by COSLA that the handling of the recent announcement about the council tax freeze undermined the spirit and the letter of the Verity House Agreement.

Question reference: S6T-01591

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact of Storm Babet on communities in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside and Perthshire.

Question reference: S6T-01590

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recently announced Centre of Teaching Excellence.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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