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-18625

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17951 by Tom Arthur on 30 May 2023, as it "routinely mandates the payment of at least the Scottish real Living Wage (£10.90) to employees directly involved in the delivery of its contracts", whether it plans to enshrine this mandate in legislation.

Employment law, including the minimum and national living wage rates, remains reserved to the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government will continue to use our Fair Work policy to encourage and promote fairer work practices across the labour market in Scotland, including through conditionality in public sector funding. As such, there are no current plans to legislate in this area.

Payment of at least the real Living Wage is a clear way that an employer can demonstrate a commitment to their workforce, alongside other Fair Work First criteria.

Public bodies are responsible for their own procurement decisions. Despite that, we are continuing to engage with relevant sectors to encourage and promote fair work practices, including the real Living Wage, across the whole of the public sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18693

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Ministers last met with (a) UK ministers, (b) the Welsh Ministers and (c) representatives of international governments to discuss (i) period dignity and (ii) the provision of free period products.

Question reference: S6W-18623

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what provision it has made for providing free period products or helping to provide access to period products within funding allocated for international development programmes.

The Scottish Government has funded two successful international projects to help tackle global challenges around period dignity. Funding of £100,000 was provided to Water Aid Foundation to support women in Rwanda, and just under £13,000 was provided to a project through the Freedom From Fistula Foundation in Malawi.

These projects helped communities make and sell reusable period products and generate an income for community members. Funding was also used to donate free products to school pupils in these countries. Both projects were funded in collaboration with international development programmes and through the social justice budget.

Question reference: S6W-18507

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit regarding the reported increase in violence against staff and pupils in schools, and what (a) public health and (b) prevention measures are being considered.

The Scottish Government continues to liaise with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit regarding youth violence and funds the Unit to take forward a number of preventative measures, using a public health approach which focusses on the underlying drivers of offending behaviour. These are outlined in the recently published Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland and include targeting weapon carrying amongst some young people; targeting the effects of social media on violence; and helping support more young people with multiple complex issues to engage with appropriate services. The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit will also be one of numerous partners we are engaging with in the forthcoming summit on violence in schools.

Question reference: S6W-18508

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26043 by Jeane Freeman on 11 November 2019, how many children and young people have completed suicide in each year since 2018.

The following table sets out the number of children and young people who have died by suicide annually, since 2018. The suicide statistics for 2022 are due to be released by National Records of Scotland in August 2023.

Year	Under 18	18-24 years
2018	26	75
2019	18	97
2020	14	79
2021	17	59

Source: National Records of Scotland

The Scottish Government is taking forward a significant programme of work to support the mental health of children and young people, including enhanced clinical and community-based support. Our targeted suicide prevention work is set out in the joint Scottish Government and COSLA suicide prevention strategy Creating hope Together , and its initial 3 year action plan . Together these programmes set a clear course of action to support new approaches and prevent suicidal behaviour in children and young people. These efforts will continue to benefit from the engagement of children and young people, including the work of the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group.

Question reference: S6W-18656

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness that, according to Citizens Advice Scotland, "Council Tax debt collection is much harsher and faster compared to commercial debt collection".

Council tax is a local tax, set and collected by each local authority, with every council financially and administratively accountable to their electorate. Council Tax Debt was discussed at the last meeting of the Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform on 22 March 2023. It is important that local authorities retain the tools to enforce the payment of council tax by those who have the means to pay but choose not to do so, whilst the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, promoted as part of the Scottish Government funded Citizens Advice Scotland's Money Talk Team, as well as by local authorities and the DWP, means nobody should have to meet a council tax liability they cannot be expected to afford.

Question reference: S6W-18655

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to tackle the issue of council tax debt in its proposed new deal for local government.

The New Deal for Local Government reflects a desire of both partners to re-set the relationship between local and national government. The New Deal will provide greater flexibility over local funding, with clear accountability for delivery on shared priorities and outcomes. This will include considering further reforms for council tax in partnership with local government through the Joint Working Group on sources of local government funding.

Question reference: S6W-18651

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Understanding the Drivers Behind the Accrual of Council Tax Arrears, published by Citizens Advice Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18303

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with environmental stakeholders including Friends of the Earth.

The last time Ms Slater met with Friends of the Earth was on 17 May

Friends of the Earth were invited but unable to attend a meeting with Ms Slater and eNGO’s on 2 June 2023, to discuss the impact of the UK Government’s decision not to grant a full IMA exclusion for the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme and to consider the implications of this decision on the environment in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18304

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the number of Scotland-domiciled transgender people who have travelled to receive gender reassignment surgery through the NHS in England.

Gender reassignment surgery is a specialised field of surgery, accessed by a small number of patients each year. Given the highly specialist nature of this surgery it is carried out in the UK under a four-nations contract, managed by NHS England.

NHS Scotland monitors the number of surgical referrals to the service. Patients referred for assessment do not necessarily proceed to surgery. A patient’s surgery will not necessarily take place in the same year as the referral.