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-37807

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many nursery buildings constructed since 2015 have failed to meet the standards set out in Space to Grow: Design guidance for early learning and childcare and out of school care settings.

Question reference: S6W-37815

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to address reported concerns that the expansion of funded hours has led to staff burnout and retention issues in the early learning sector.

The Scottish Government is working with local authorities and other partners to develop long-term workforce plans that address retention issues and support staff wellbeing across the ELC sector.

In 2025-26, we are providing £9.7 million to local authorities to enable payment of the real Living Wage to childcare workers in private and voluntary services providing funded ELC. Building on last year’s recurring investment of £16 million, this funding for the further increase to at least £12.60 per hour demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda. The Scottish Government remains the only part of the UK to fund the payment of the real Living Wage to ELC staff in the private and third sectors.

In addition, we have worked with partners to develop a range of new resources for the childcare workforce, including a new continuous professional learning portal which features a mental health and wellbeing resource specifically for early years professionals. We are working with Skills Development Scotland and funded partners in the private and voluntary sector to pilot ways of working that support efficiencies in services and allow practitioners to prioritise their professional learning within working hours.

Question reference: S6T-02550

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current investment in youth work is sufficient, in light of reports of an increase in youth violence and the loss of local youth services in recent years.

Question reference: S6O-04718

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the new report from the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, Whole person medical care: The value of the General Practitioner.

Question reference: S6O-04675

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its current export and investment support policies.

Question reference: S6O-04654

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported lack of access to legal aid in rural regions.

Question reference: S6T-02486

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure greater access to affordable early years provision, in light of reports of the rising cost of childcare for families with children under the age of three.

Question reference: S6O-04533

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported rising childcare costs on families, particularly those on low and middle incomes, in light of recent research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity.

Question reference: S6W-35312

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of youth work on addressing (a) substance abuse and (b) other health-related concerns, and how it supports programmes that focus on promoting such work.

Question reference: S6W-35324

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with youth workers to assess the effectiveness of its policies in this area on achieving positive economic outcomes.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. The Scottish Government regularly engages with Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland in connection with the grant funding provided to each organisation from the Community Learning and Development budget. Funding is focused on supporting the workforce to deliver high quality youth work and its role in eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality, particularly at the grassroots level.

In addition, the Minister for Higher and Further Education commissioned an independent review of the Community Learning and Development (CLD) landscape in December 2023. As part of this review, evidence gathering and consultation was undertaken with key stakeholders, learners, potential learners, practitioners and partners across the CLD sector.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Learning: For All. For Life. report published in July 2024, which made 20 recommendations varying in complexity and scope. The report can be accessed at: www.gov.scot/publications/learning-life-report-independent-review-community-learning-development-cld/documents/.

The Scottish Government and CoSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group. The Group will consider the remaining 19 recommendations of the report, including those relating to youth work.