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: S6O-02328

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local theatres.

Question reference: S6W-18063

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many programmes it is providing funding to charities to deliver in the financial year 2023-24, and how many of these have yet to have final confirmation of funding.

Scottish Government expenditure is allocated across portfolios to various sectors, including the third sector, to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the figures requested are not available.

Question reference: S6W-18065

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on tackling social isolation and loneliness in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23.

a) In financial year 2021-2022, £1 million was allocated to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness. This funding has supported work including helplines, befriending, and practical support.

Many of the 48 organisations funded through the Equality and Human Rights Fund also work on tackling social isolation. The Equality and Human Rights Fund will distribute up to £7 million annually for the three years from October 2021 to September 2024.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults launched in October 2021 and has invested £21 million in supporting grass roots community groups in building resilience and tackling social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis.

The Connecting Scotland digital inclusion programme delivered a Winter Support Package and two Fast Track schemes with a focus on social isolation in 2021-22. £6.8 million was spent on devices, connectivity and skills support across 32 local authorities in Scotland.

b) In 2022-23, over £1 million was provided to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness and mitigate the impact of the cost crisis.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, for which social isolation and loneliness is one of the priority areas, was funded with a further £15 million in 2022-23.

In the first two years of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, approximately 3300 grants were made to local organisations across Scotland to a wide range of grassroots community projects including those based around peer support, physical activity, arts and crafts activities, social interaction and befriending, with a strong emphasis on the key themes of prevention and early intervention, suicide prevention and addressing social isolation.

Question reference: S6W-18064

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will spend on tackling social isolation and loneliness over the current parliamentary session.

The Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund was launched in March 2023 and will run to the end of July 2026 providing £3.8 million over the three-year period to support activity directly tackling social isolation and loneliness. £2 million has already been distributed to organisations directly since August 2021 for work including helplines, befriending, youth work and provision of warm spaces and group activities.

Since October 2021, the Scottish Government has invested £36 million in the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, with around 3,300 grants being made to local organisations across Scotland in the first two years. A further £15 million is committed in 2023-24. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund supports grass roots community groups in building resilience and tackling social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis.

We are also investing over £300,000 in programmes which recognise the role that sports clubs and hubs play in improving physical, mental and social health, including the ‘Changing Room – Extra Time’ and ‘Gain the Advantage’ programmes, and Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport.

Question reference: S6O-02321

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on phase 3 of the learning estate investment programme, including in relation to the planned date for the announcement of the successful projects.

Question reference: S6T-01394

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to retired carers.

Question reference: S6W-17640

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a comprehensive audit of Social Security Scotland’s (a) services, (b) communications and (c) training, to ensure that all aspects of its work are trauma-informed and support the mental health and wellbeing of its clients.

Social Security Scotland is committed to building a trauma-informed workforce. All client facing staff undertake a 6 week “Routeway” training course featuring specific sessions on Trauma Informed Practice and on Mental Health and Supporting Vulnerable People.

Social Security Scotland has been designed with the people who use it to ensure that processes are clear and inclusive and that it delivers support to people with dignity, fairness and respect. 94% of people who took part in the latest annual client survey said they were treated with kindness.

Social Security Scotland have signed the Scottish Government’s Leadership Pledge of Support for trauma-informed practice and are fully committed to building an awareness and understanding of the impact of trauma into their work. This includes understanding when trauma might create barriers for people.

Question reference: S6W-17642

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Delivery Plan will include a commitment to ensure that Social Security Scotland is a fully trauma-informed organisation.

Question reference: S6W-17641

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-15601

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the £20 million it committed to investing in the Detect Cancer Early programme has been used.

Programme for Government 2021/22 committed an additional £20 million investment, over the life of this Parliament, for the Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme to improve early detection rates. So far investment has been made into the development of a new behaviour change campaign to reduce fear of cancer, launched 6 March 2023.

Through the Programme, there’s a firm focus on lung cancer which remains a national priority. This funding has included supporting implementation of Scotland’s optimal lung cancer diagnostic pathway (published December 2022); exploring the role of artificial intelligence in expediting those identified as higher risk; continuation of the University of Edinburgh’s LUNGSCOT study; and establishing a National Bronchoscopy & EBUS Training Programme for NHS Scotland.

A new earlier diagnosis vision is expected to launch in Spring 2023, as part of Scotland’s new cancer strategy – this will be supported by a 3 year action plan, the delivery of which will be supported by this Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme investment.