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-27501

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote scientific subjects to women and girls.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that both young women and men are encouraged to aspire to the full range of rewarding careers on offer to them in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) sectors of the economy. We are taking specific action in relation to physics and computing in our schools, as these are subjects where gender balance is in serious need of improvement. The multi-channel Digital World marketing campaign, due to launch at the end of September 2015, is aimed at attracting more women to pursue relevant qualifications and jobs in the digital sector. And, with the support of Skills Development Scotland and the Institute of Physics, we are providing practical support for primary and secondary schools to arrange activities for students to implement “whole school” approaches to tackling gender stereotyping in STEM subjects.

Our Developing the Young Workforce strategy aims to prioritise STEM courses in colleges and we are also working with our universities to improve the gender balance in academia. Fuller details of this activity can be found in S4W-26983 on 25 August 2015. Indeed, in August 2015, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning wrote to all university principals encouraging the university sector to take further action to address the gender imbalance at senior academic levels in our institutions. In addition, we have targeted investment in making women aware of the opportunities available in industries where they are traditionally under-represented. Through Equate Scotland we are delivering the CareerWISE programme to make women aware of STEM Modern Apprenticeships and are also offering paid work placements for female undergraduates to encourage them to consider STEM careers.

To enhance the work ongoing in formal education, we also directly fund science engagement in the four Scottish Science Centres as well as the science festivals in recognition of the role played by the informal science learning sector in providing positive role models for girls and young women, supporting STEM learning, and making science accessible to a wide public audience. On 17 September 2015, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning met with leading women in the science engagement sector to explore whether the wider science base could learn from the better gender balance which exists in that sector. She also asked meeting attendees to consider what further action might be taken.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-27557

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Margaret Burgess on 18 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact recent announcements by the UK Government in relation to the Green Deal will have on action to improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes.

The UK Government’s recent announcement to cease funding for the Green Deal Finance Company and Green Deal Home Improvement Fund has caused further uncertainty in a sector still recovering from the sudden changes made to the Energy Company Obligation by the UK Government in December 2013. It is one of a string of attacks on support for climate change and energy efficiency measures made by the UK Government. This announcement effectively ended the availability of Green Deal Finance further reducing support available to Scottish households. Furthermore, the closure of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund a year early will reduce the resources available to the Scottish Government for energy efficiency in 2016-17 by £15 million as we will no longer receive the consequential funding expected.

Despite the uncertainty caused by Westminster, this government remains committed to improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes to help tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. This year we are investing unprecedented levels and have allocated £119 million to our fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes. Since 2009 we have invested more than half a billion pounds, benefiting nearly one in three homes in Scotland.

The UK Government has stated that it will work with stakeholders to develop an alternative for Green Deal Finance alongside a new Energy Company Obligation, but has not yet set out formal plans or timescales and has not indicated what level of funding will be made available. Due to the increased and ongoing uncertainty around support for household energy efficiency stemming from the recent UK Government announcements we cannot meaningfully consult with the public on proposals for regulation of energy efficiency in private sector homes this year as originally planned. Whilst I must, reluctantly, announce today (18 September 2015) a delay to the planned consultation, this government is committed to taking forward the consultation in the next parliamentary session.

In addition, given that the UK Government will no longer provide the £15.1 million in consequential funding, I must also announce that we will no longer be able to provide funding for our HEEPS: Cashback scheme for the next financial year – 2016-17.

I am today writing to Amber Rudd highlighting Scottish Ministers’ concerns at the impact of the UK Government’s recent actions and overall approach to improving energy efficiency. I have also today written to the conveners whose committees have an interest in energy efficiency and fuel poverty to inform them of the delay to the consultation and changes to funding.

Question reference: S4O-04601

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Advisory Group on Child Poverty last met and what matters were discussed.

Question reference: S4T-01090

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2015
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people in Scotland died between December 2011 and February 2014 shortly after a work capability assessment found them fit for work.

Question reference: S4W-26477

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the impact on families in Scotland of reducing the child element of child tax credit to its 2003-04 level.

Question reference: S4W-26433

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of households in Scotland that will be affected by the proposal to freeze working age benefits for two years from April 2016 and what the (a) total cost to households and (b) average loss per household will be.

The UK Government’s Summer Budget 2015 contained a number of reforms to the tax and benefit system, including a four year freeze to working age benefits. The Scottish Government published its initial analysis of these announcements on 11 July 2015 in the paper Initial Assessment of Budget Tax and Benefit Reforms which can be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Economy/Publications/BudgetReforms.

Question reference: S4W-26434

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the expected overall impact on families in Scotland of changes to child benefit and tax credit rates between 2010-11 and 2017-18.

Question reference: S4W-26786

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2015
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maureen Watt on 21 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the review of maternity and neonatal services announced on 26 February 2015.

Following a short period of consultation with key stakeholders and professionals, I have invited Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Forth Valley to chair the review. Jane has accepted the appointment and will now invite key professionals and service user representatives to join the group, which will hold its first meeting later in summer 2015. I have asked the group to report back to me in summer 2016.

Question reference: S4O-04448

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote child safety.

Question reference: S4O-04421

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the measures in the Queen’s Speech will have on its ability to tackle poverty and inequality.