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: S4W-17420

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason kinship carers were not invited to join the Carers Parliament in 2012.

The invitations to attend the Carers Parliament in 2012 were widely circulated throughout Scotland. Carers were invited to self-nominate from each geographical area. Thereafter the selection process to attend the Carers Parliament involved two delegates being selected from each of the 73 Scottish parliamentary constituencies to represent carers interests across Scotland. Kinship carers who also had caring responsibilities were eligible to attend.

Question reference: S4W-17418

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the responses of (a) support groups for kinship carers and (b) the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance to the kinship care orders proposed by the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.

The Scottish Government has outlined its position on all the responses to the Children and Young People Bill proposals, including those on kinship care orders, in the Scottish Government Response To “A Scotland for Children: A Consultation on a Children and Young People Bill”.

You can see our response by following this link; http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/legislation/consultation-2012/stakeholders.

Question reference: S4W-17427

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out in the last three years to establish and consolidate links with groups, charities and other non-governmental bodies that have specialist knowledge and skills in kinship care arrangements.

Since April 2011, the Scottish Government has funded Children 1^st, Citizens Advice Scotland and Mentor UK to provide support to kinship carers. Funding these organisations has led to us regularly engaging with individual kinship carers and kinship care groups such as the South West Kinship Care Group, Grandparents Parenting Again, Kinsfolk Carers and the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance, on a variety of kinship care issues. The Scottish Government has also engaged with other key third sector organisations such as Child Poverty Action Group and Children in Scotland.

These meetings are in addition to our extensive consultation on the proposals set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S4W-17419

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason kinship care was not included in its 2010-2015 carers strategy.

The Carers Strategy published in 2010 acknowledges kinship in the following ways:

“support for people who are kinship carers through the carers’ route should always be considered if appropriate.”

that kinship carers are different from carers in that they are the family and friends of young people who are in the care system or are at risk of coming into the care system. A Kinship carer can also be a carer if, for example, the child they are caring for has a disability and/or if the kinship carer is also caring for their partner, parent or someone else.

that kinship carers should be supported if they have caring responsibilities as well as kinship caring responsibilities.

Question reference: S4W-17424

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it has had with organisations regarding kinship care since April 2011, broken down by group.

Since April 2011 the Scottish Government has met with Children 1^st, Citizens Advice Scotland, Mentor UK, the Child Poverty Action Group, Children in Scotland and kinship care groups such as the South West Kinship Care Group, Grandparents Parenting Again, Kinsfolk Carers and the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance, on many occasions to discuss a variety of kinship care issues.

These meetings are in addition to our extensive consultation on the proposals set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S4O-02450

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met the board of the University of the Highlands and Islands and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4O-02417

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to Scotland's film industry and individual film-makers.

Question reference: S4O-02400

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to NHS Highland to assist the delivery of services in island communities.

NHS boards, including NHS Highland, receive annual allocations based on the National Resource Allocation Committee or NRAC formula, which takes account of remoteness and rurality. Within this funding allocation, it is for NHS Highland to plan and provide services to meet the needs of the communities it serves.

Additionally, the Minister for Public Health recently announced £1.5 million of funding for the launch of pilots by NHS Highland to develop and test new models of delivering sustainable healthcare in remote and rural areas, including island communities.

Question reference: S4O-02280

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether its commemoration of the First World War will include conscientious objectors and the role of peace groups.

Question reference: S4O-02238

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it makes available to multiple sclerosis national therapy centres.