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-35089

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on holding a social media age-use ban similar to that introduced in Australia, and whether it has carried out an analysis of the potential benefits and challenges of such a measure.

We recognise that online platforms, including social media, can have both positive and negative impacts on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and that support must be in place to help children use social media in a healthy and balanced way. It is important to note that regulation of the internet is a reserved matter to the UK Government, however we have previously successfully engaged on its Online Safety Act to strengthen protections for young people.

We will continue to explore opportunities to work with the UK Government on this important issue, whilst also taking action here in Scotland. For example, since 2020 we have invested over £400,000 to support young people to navigate online spaces and use screen time in a safe way and help parents and carers to ensure they have the information to guide young people and recognise risks.

The Young Scot ‘Aye Feel’ online hub, the ‘Mind Yer Time’ resource, and ‘Digi Know’ features, address social media usage amongst children and young people to help them navigate online spaces, ensure websites are reliable, and use screen time in a healthy and positive way. Our Parent Club national resource for parents also has information and advice to support parents to manage children’s screen time and have informed conversations with their child about screen time, social media and internet use. In addition, we have recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools.

Earlier this year the First Minister announced a Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce. The Taskforce will provide oversight and direction to work across Scottish Government and identify what more can be done to protect children and young people from online harm within the limits of devolution.

Question reference: S6W-34434

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to outline a comprehensive plan for reforming public debt collection practices, including the consideration of debt amnesties for families affected by housing arrears.

Scottish Government recognises the financial pressures that many households are experiencing, including debts to public sector bodies. However, it is important to be clear on the role and responsibilities of all partners in relation to public sector debt and to recognise that local authorities have independence to make decisions particularly regarding their approach to collection of council tax arrears and school meal debt.

Scottish Ministers have consistently encouraged public bodies to share good practice on debt assistance and collection and to show empathy and dignity when working with people struggling with debts. This includes using the Good practice principles for managing school meal debt[1] published by COSLA in February 2023 following engagement with local government partners.

The Scottish Government and COSLA recognise that there are opportunities to improve collection practices in Council Tax. The ‘Joint Working Group on Council Tax Reform’, which is co-chaired by COSLA, is undertaking work to encourage better practices in debt collection. This includes ensuring that councils are furnished with the information they need to improve practices, and identify those in need of support.

In addition, Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a debt management service that is responsive to clients’ needs while protecting the public purse. This includes an approach for vulnerable clients that includes training debt officers to identify and sensitively handle potential hardship and vulnerable clients, as well as signposting them to support and advocacy groups.

The Scottish Social Housing Charter sets outcomes that social landlords need to meet. An outcome on tenancy sustainment states; that tenants get the information they need on how to obtain support to remain in their home; and landlords ensure suitable support is available, including services provided directly by the landlord and by other organisations. This includes tenants who may be at risk of falling into arrears with their rent. Where a tenant is struggling to pay their rent they should seek support immediately from their landlord.

[1]Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)

Question reference: S6O-04370

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its guidance on the use of mobile phones in classrooms.

Question reference: S6W-34432

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps taken to fully implement the recommendations of the Expert Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group, particularly in relation to reducing the number of households with children in temporary accommodation and the duration of their stay.

We are taking decisive action to reduce the number of households with children in temporary accommodation. Increasing affordable and social housing supply is the best way to do this and the reinstated budget of £768 million for
2025-26 will enable the delivery of over 8,000 homes.

Additional investment of £42 million this year has been targeted to five local authorities with sustained temporary accommodation pressures. That funding is to increase the supply of social and affordable homes, including larger properties that are suitable for families, through acquisitions and bringing empty social homes back into use.

The homelessness prevention duties in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will mean people get help to avoid housing crisis and an additional £4 million will be available in 2025-26 to support services to prevent homelessness before it occurs.

Question reference: S6F-03808

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s plans to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.

Question reference: S6W-34288

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the prisoners released early under emergency legislation in the last year had previous convictions for domestic abuse, irrespective of whether their current sentence was being served for a separate matter.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The regulations for the Emergency Early Release process conducted in June-July 2024 included an exclusion for any individual serving a sentence for a conviction for domestic abuse (or aggravation), or where a previous unspent conviction for such an offence had led to a custodial sentence.

Prison Governors also had the power to veto the emergency early release of an otherwise eligible prisoner, where their early release would have presented a risk to a specific person, or group. The Scottish Prison Service consulted with Police Scotland and Justice and Children and Families Social Work, to request any risk relevant information regarding each individual, to inform any veto decision.

Question reference: S6W-34289

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of domestic abuse in the last 12 months; of these, how many were reoffenders of domestic abuse, and on how many previous occasions each reoffender had committed this crime.

The latest data published on the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard, shows that during the last past 12 months (January 2024 to December 2024), 1,067 people were convicted of at least one offence under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.

Of those 1,067 people, 46 were convicted for domestic abuse offences under different case references in previous years (from the implementation of the Act to December 2023). Of those 46 people:

41 were convicted for domestic abuse crimes under one different case.

4 were convicted for domestic abuse crimes under two different cases.

1 was convicted for domestic abuse crimes under four different cases.

Question reference: S6W-33996

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Verity House Agreement, whether it plans to introduce (a) legislation on the principles and (b) an annual review to ensure adherence to its core principles.

(a) It was never envisaged that the Verity House Agreement principles themselves would be introduced in legislation. However, much of the language used in the Verity House Agreement was heavily drawn upon from the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to supporting Mark Ruskell MSP to progress his Member’s Bill to incorporate the Charter into domestic law as soon as practical.

(b) A commitment was made within the Verity House Agreement to jointly considered the first year of implementation, not to complete annual reviews. This was fulfilled through the stocktake report published on the 21 November 2024. We are in the process of creating Accountability and Assurance arrangements and a monitoring framework and have committed to regular engagement with COSLA. These will ensure the delivery of our joint priorities and that VHA principles are being adhered to.

Question reference: S6W-33995

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to convene a national convention with local government representatives to collaboratively address the processes and measures required to establish a balanced budget.

As independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, individual local authorities are statutorily required to produce a balanced budget, taking account of local needs and priorities in the process.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget will deliver record funding of over £15 billion for Local Authorities, a 4.7 per cent real terms increase, along with full discretion over Council Tax.

More frequent and meaningful engagement with COSLA and Councils, in the spirit of the Fiscal Framework with Local Government, was fundamental to the decisions that led to that record budget. It is Ministers intention to publish an update on the Fiscal Framework alongside the final Local Government Settlement and remain committed to working in partnership with Local Government but have no current plans to convene a national convention with local government.

Question reference: S6O-04303

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported guidance issued by Rape Crisis Scotland, and its definition of the word "woman".