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: S5W-35480

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area have been supported through each devolved social security benefit.

The Scottish Government routinely publish local authority level information in official statistics publications on each of the devolved benefits, at:

https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-scotland-stats-publications/

This latest publications for each benefit include statistics on how many people have received and, where relevant, applied for the benefit by local authority. The publications can be found at:

Carer’s Allowance Supplement to October 2020 eligibility date

https://www.gov.scot/publications/carers-allowance-supplement-october-eligibility-date-2020-and-carers-allowance-disability-living-allowance-attendance-allowance-and-severe-disablement-allowance-at-august-2020-statistics/

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods statistics to 30 November 2020

https://www.gov.scot/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-30-november-2020/

Funeral Support Payment statistics to 31 December 2020

https://www.gov.scot/publications/funeral-support-payment-high-level-statistics-to-31-december-2020/

Young Carer Grant statistics to 31 October 2020

https://www.gov.scot/publications/young-carer-grant-high-level-statistics-to-31-october-2020/

Job Start Payment statistics to 31 December 2020

https://www.gov.scot/publications/job-start-payment-high-level-statistics-to-31-december-2020/

Scottish Child Payment statistics to 31 December 2020

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-child-payment-high-level-statistics-on-applications-to-31-december-2020/

Question reference: S5O-05058

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to measure and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent mental health.

Question reference: S5O-04969

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to measures to encourage increased physical activity and participation in sport, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's health.

Question reference: S5O-04937

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on security and safety in Scotland of no longer having access to EU security protocols and law enforcement organisations, including the European Arrest Warrant, Europol and Eurojust.

Question reference: S5F-04726

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2021

To ask the First Minister what the current guidelines are regarding care home visiting.

Question reference: S5W-33749

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to support the manufacturing sector’s recovery.

The Scottish Government is publishing Making Scotland’s Future: A Recovery Plan For Manufacturing for consultation on 4 th December 2020.

The Recovery Plan has been developed in partnership with representatives from industry, public sector, trade unions and academia and its publication creates the opportunity for wider stakeholders to input.

On top of £2.3 billion support provided at the start of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has provided over £1 billion in economic recovery funds and £93 million in business grants since October. This package sits alongside other tailored support for manufacturing such as the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund, our Innovation Centres and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). Together they provide a strong portfolio of support to Scottish manufacturers but we are committed to doing more to help one of Scotland’s most productive sectors.

That is why, in line with our commitment to respond to the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery report recommendations, the Making Scotland’s Future Programme and partnership will deliver a manufacturing recovery plan.

The Recovery Plan outlines a set of targeted actions for delivery over the next 12 months built around four priorities: (i) collaboration and networks, (ii) supply chains and competitiveness, (iii) adaptation and transformation and (iv) skills and workforce. Immediate actions are already in train and broader consultation with industry will help us to shape a final set of actions to progress in 2021.

The Plan also contains a commitment to Fair Work and Just Transition principles, enhancing workforce development to respond to opportunities brought by the emergence of new technologies, safeguarding and creating high-quality, green jobs.

Making Scotland’s Future: A Recovery Plan For Manufacturing will be available on the Scottish Government website following its launch. The consultation will close on 15 January 2021 and a final Plan, consolidating all feedback, will be published in February 2021.

Question reference: S5W-33098

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting its Forestry Strategy activity to increase tree canopy cover in towns and cities.

The Scottish Government provides over £48m per year of funding through the Forestry Grant Scheme for tree planting across Scotland, including in our towns and cities. Since April 2015 the Scottish Government has provided funding to support the planting of 1.85 million trees and created 925 hectares of new urban woodlands.

An additional grant contribution of around £2.1m per annum is also offered to encourage tree planting and greening projects within the Central Scotland Green Network area.

The Scottish Government continues to work with a range of partners to support the development of Green Networks in our urban areas including support to plant trees.

Question reference: S5O-04747

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to businesses in the hospitality and food and drink sectors in response to the impact of each level of the COVID-19 Strategic Framework.

Question reference: S5O-04685

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest engagement has been with the UK Government regarding the Brexit negotiations.

Question reference: S5W-32155

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 30 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support will be provided for people on low incomes who are self-isolating.

It is vital that those who are doing their part to limit the spread of COVID-19 are not financially disadvantaged by doing so. Therefore, the Scottish Government will introduce a new financial support package to provide support for people on low incomes who are self-isolating that would lose income if they do so, and are unable to carry out their work from home.

The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant will be delivered though the Scottish Welfare Fund which is administered by local authorities. This has been agreed with CoSLA and we will work with councils on delivering the scheme. The Scottish scheme is expected to start from 12 October.

I have written today to the Social Security Committee to provide further detail.