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-04279

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to (a) prevent and (b) mitigate the disruption caused by changes to public transport due to COP26.

Transport Scotland undertook a public messaging programme to inform and forewarn the public of the need to plan their journey during COP26, directing people to the Get Ready Glasgow website, which held detailed heat maps of affected areas and suggested alternative routes. This campaign proved to be successful in reducing the background demand, which allowed space for the events to take place while leaving capacity on transport networks for key workers and unplanned disruption.

A zero emission Shuttle Bus service was put in place to support the extra demand on public transport between Glasgow City Centre and the venue. This was positively received by delegates, and proved to be popular, transporting almost 5000 people on its busiest day. Rail and subway services were strengthened to support the demand. Free cycle hire was also available in Glasgow, provided by Nextbike.

Furthermore, the Transport Co-ordination Centre and Transport Scotland Resilience Room were stood up throughout the conference to monitor and help mitigate any transport related issues.

Question reference: S6W-03801

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that any future transition away from the requirement to wear face coverings is as safe as possible and ensures public safety.

Question reference: S6W-03800

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale it anticipates the requirement to wear face coverings will be lifted.

Question reference: S6W-04083

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address the root causes of the (a) harassment and (b) drink spiking and spiking by injection of women in nightlife venues.

Our Equally Safe Strategy sets out Scotland’s ambition to tackle and eradicate all forms of violence against women and we continue to implement this with a clear and decisive focus on primary prevention of violence.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC chairs the independent Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice which is considering how the Scottish criminal justice system can better deal with misogyny and the harassment of women in public spaces. The Chair has confirmed that the Working Group’s report will be published in February 2022 and we will act swiftly to consider its recommendations.

On 4 November I chaired an urgent roundtable with representatives from the night time economy, health, education and third sectors to discuss spiking and interventions required to tackle violence against women. We are now considering the themes arising from these discussions with an ambition to agree upon robust reporting pathways, safeguarding interventions and long-term preventative measures that can be taken to address the issue of male violence against women.

Question reference: S6W-04019

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its employment action plan for disabled people 2021-22.

Question reference: S6O-00396

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the "20-metre rule" within eligibility criteria for disability benefits is dignified, fair, respectful and consistent with the values of Social Security Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-04035

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has provided to Skills Development Scotland since the start of the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-04021

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in the labour market.

The Scottish Government routinely publishes official labour market statistics for disabled people in Scotland and uses these to analyse how labour market barriers and outcomes for disabled people are changing over time and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.

Latest data are published at:

Labour market monthly briefing: October 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We know, for example, the disability employment gap in Scotland - the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - narrowed over the latest year to July 2020 – June 2021, to 32.0 percentage points.

Analysis is also published as part of the annual progress report of a Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: employment action plan - our plan to at least halve the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038.

Latest report available here: Fairer Scotland for disabled people - employment action plan: progress report - year 2 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-04018

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its initial plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Working alongside Disabled Peoples Organisations, the STUC, and representatives from the third, public and private sectors, the Scottish Government is currently developing a refresh of ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’.

The refreshed action plan will set out how we will build on the progress we have made in tackling inequalities as we recover from the pandemic. We expect the plan to be published in Spring 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04020

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to enable disabled people to feed into its plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

We are committed to working with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to ensure that the refresh of ‘ A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment action plan’ is informed by the lived experience of disabled people.

The short life working group overseeing the development of the refreshed action plan is co-chaired by the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA). GDA and other DPOs will engage directly with their members and disabled people for input and views with regards to the refreshed action plan to ensure their views are heard and seen.

More broadly, we are committed to working together with DPOs to ensure disabled people’s input is represented in Scottish Government’s strategic and policy development in relation to achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people. For example, the direct involvement of disabled people’s organisations and their members has played a key role in shaping the next phase of No One Left Behind, our strategy for placing people at the centre of the design and delivery of employability services.