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-07718

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance the Early Years Task Force gives to local authorities regarding spend from the Early Years Change Fund.

Question reference: S4O-01166

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding Read classifications for GPs.

Question reference: S4W-07719

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there would be changes to benefit levels in a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Question reference: S4W-07432

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it tackles homophobic bullying in the workplace.

The Scottish Government's aim is to ensure that all members of staff are able to work in an environment that is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation and to feel safe and secure either in the workplace, or during work-related activities. Our Fairness at Work policy makes clear that the Scottish Government, as an employer, will not tolerate behaviour considered to be unacceptable and that we will take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that staff are able to work in a safe and non-threatening working environment. The policy makes specific reference to homophobic bullying and homophobic language. In addition the Scottish Government Staff Etiquette Guide sets out what is expected from staff when communicating with different groups of staff or stakeholders, including LGBT groups. In addition our two days diversity training course covers the legislation and behaviours expected in relation to LGBT groups. The course also includes a session with an LGBT lay speaker.

Question reference: S4W-07440

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage local government employers to promote diversity in the early years and childcare workforce.

The Scottish Government recognise the early years and childcare workforce is predominately female with latest Scottish Social Services Council statistics showing 96% of the workforce in Day Care of Children are women. We are working with Men in Childcare to help redress this gender imbalance and part fund them to provide access to accredited training and targeted support to men interested in entering the early years and childcare profession. Men in Childcare also work with local government to provide advice and support for the recruitment and retention of more men into the workforce.

Question reference: S4W-07429

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages local authority education departments to tackle homophobic bullying in schools.

Question reference: S4W-07428

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it tackles homophobic bullying in schools.

The Equalities Act 2010 places public bodies, including schools, under duties to proactively prevent discrimination related to protected characteristics including sexual orientation. This includes direct and indirect discrimination based on perception and based on association. This means that schools must work to prevent pupils being discriminated against due to their sexuality either directly or indirectly and they must work to prevent discrimination because someone is believed to be gay or is associated with someone who is gay, for example family members or friends. These comprehensive duties provide the broader context in which homophobic bullying should be challenged.

A toolkit for teachers, titled, Dealing with Homophobia and Homophobic Bullying in Scottish Schools was distributed to all secondary schools and local authorities in 2009. Funded by the Scottish Government and developed by LGBT Youth Scotland in partnership with Learning and Teaching Scotland (now Education Scotland) the toolkit is designed to support teachers in recognising, challenging, and effectively reducing homophobia and homophobic bullying in their schools.

In 2010, the Scottish Government published A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People. Developed in partnership with the Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group, the purpose of the National Approach is to communicate and promote a common vision and aims; and to make sure that work across all agencies and communities, including local authorities and schools, is consistently and coherently contributing to a holistic approach to anti-bullying to anti-bullying in Scotland.

The Scottish Government also funds the national anti-bullying service, respectme. Respectme work with all adults who have a role to play in the lives of children and young people and help to give those adults the practical skills and confidence to deal with bullying behaviour, wherever it occurs. They offer free training at events across Scotland and work with organisations at a local and strategic level, including local authorities and schools, to develop and review anti-bullying policies and practices.

Question reference: S4W-07434

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what training NHS boards provide to tackle discrimination against gay and bisexual men by GPs and other health professionals.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has worked with Stonewall Scotland to ensure that the needs of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities are considered in the development and provision of training and education for NHSScotland. Part of this work saw the development of ‘Good LGBT Practice in the NHS’ and an associated training programme that aimed to support the NHS to develop this good practice across their service areas. In addition NES has developed a CD rom based resource “Addressing LGBT Health Inequalities”.

An innovative pilot programme on assessing cultural competence of trainees in Dentistry explicitly addressed homophobia in the assessment. NES are currently exploring options to build on this work to embed a sustainable approach to assessing cultural competence in vocational training. In addition, NES will be participating in the public sector good practice programme and are developing a bank of case studies and scenarios for use in education and training.

Any individual who feels they have suffered from discrimination in their healthcare can express their right to make a formal complaint under the NHS Complaints Procedure.

Question reference: S4W-07430

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Stonewall Scotland's Gay and Bisexual Men’s Health Survey Scotland report.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the publication of this report by Stonewall. A formal response to Stonewall was issued on 28 May outlining a number of work programmes which relate to the recommendations. These programmes include rolling out health inequality impact assessments and the Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Demonstration project in Lothian.

The report findings and recommendations have also been drawn to the attention of NHS Health Improvement Scotland as it has responsibility for supporting healthcare providers in Scotland to deliver high quality, evidence-based, safe, effective and person-centred care.

Question reference: S4W-07438

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding from early intervention programmes and the Change Fund will be used to support and provide services for children and families of prisoners.

The Early Years Change Fund signals a decisive shift to preventative spending in the Scottish budget - rebalancing care, support and service provision towards prevention and early intervention. How this is spent will be subject to local decisions between delivery partners based on guidance from the Early Years Taskforce.

Separately, the Scottish Government provides funding to Families Outside, a national charity in Scotland that works solely to support the children and families of prisoners.