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-22626

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the medium-term action to "Implement and raise awareness of current national guidelines on endometriosis and develop and implement further pathways for care where these don’t currently exist", as set out in its Women's Health Plan 2021-2024.

Question reference: S6W-21994

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the compliance of colleges with its Fair Work Action Plan.

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. We are committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence.

The Scottish Government expects the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to continue promoting the Fair Work principles and to monitor adherence across the college sector, as outlined in the Ministerial letter of guidance issued to the SFC on 1 June 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22268

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on joining the School Meals Coalition.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring we have a comprehensive and high quality free school meal programme and we regularly work with other nations to ensure good practice is shared.

We have no plans at this stage to join the School Meals Coalition. For over a decade, Scotland has been actively involved with International School Meals Day which provides us with the opportunity to promote school meal uptake in Scotland and to showcase Scotland's model of school food provision and food education on the international stage.

To date 63 countries are engaged with International School Meals Day, each sharing their knowledge and experience of supporting children and young people to access balanced and nutritious school lunches to support their healthy growth and development.

Question reference: S6W-22267

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland will be represented at the School Meals Coalition Global Summit in Paris on 18-19 October 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22211

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to (a) Warmer Homes Scotland, (b) Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) area based schemes, (c) Home Energy Scotland grants and loans for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating and (d) Home Energy Scotland advice and support services, in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-22209

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding it allocated to (a) improve energy efficiency and (b) decarbonise the heating of homes in (i) social, (ii) owner-occupied and (iii) private rented housing in (A) 2021-22, (B) 2022-23 and (C) 2023-24.

The budgets allocated are as follows:

	21-22	22-23	23-24
Social	£20mn	£30mn	£39.5mn
Owner occupied and Private Rented	£135mn	£161mn	£161mn

The budget for the private rented sector scheme is combined with that for our wider Home Energy Scotland grants and loans scheme and is not given a separate allocation. In addition, when setting our budgets – we don’t specifically allocate funding between that for energy efficiency and that for zero direct emissions heating – the allocation above covers both aspects.

In addition to this, a further £15 million of funding is provided to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme to support construction of new affordable housing built to high standards of energy efficiency with zero direct emissions heating systems installed.

Question reference: S6W-22210

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1.8 billion Heat in Buildings funding has been spent to date, and what the forecast trajectory is of spending to the end of the current parliamentary session.

From April 2021 to the end of September 2023, the Heat in Buildings Programme has spent £340m, with an additional estimated spend of £163m over the remainder of this financial year.

The programme forecasts are showing an increased demand that supports a continuing increase in capital support across the range of schemes offered by the HiBs programme. Final outturn will be based on actual demand for schemes and final budget allocations for 24-25 and beyond.
We are continuing to make long term commitments to funding – for example, we have recently re-procured the Warmer Homes Scotland successor scheme at a contract value of £700 million over the next 5 years.

Question reference: S6W-22701

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development last met with COSLA to discuss culture; what was discussed at this meeting, and when the Minister will next meet with COSLA to discuss these issues.

Question reference: S6W-22058

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the reported £8 million overspend in relation to the World Cycling Championship, which has reportedly resulted in the reinstatement of the £6.6 million reduction in funding to Creative Scotland.

The total funding for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championship is in the process of being finalised and will be confirmed in due course. It includes contributions from the Scottish Government, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow City Council and a number of other local authorities, as well as from commercial revenue streams. Any additional funding that may be required will be managed centrally by the Scottish Government and will not be derived from the Culture portfolio’s budget.

Question reference: S6W-22272

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the medium-term goal to provide access in each primary care team to a healthcare professional who has a special interest in menopause, in line with its Women's Health Plan 2021-24.

One of the key aims in the Women’s Health Plan is to ensure that all women will have access to a healthcare professional with an interest in menopause through primary care, and that in the longer term, we build a basic understanding of menopause amongst all healthcare professionals.

In order for primary care professionals to be able to enhance their skills in menopause care, the Scottish Government has commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to create a bespoke training package and framework which is focussed on menopause and menstrual health for general practice and others working in Primary Care.

There is now a menopause specialist in every mainland NHS Board, with a buddy system in place for the Island Boards. Through the National Menopause Specialists Network these local specialists support primary care teams through the provision of access to a menopause specialist for consistent advice, support, onward referral, leadership and training.

Financial Year	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Warmer Homes Scotland	£50m	£55m	£55m
Area Based Schemes	£64m	£64m	£64m
Home Energy Scotland Grants and Loans	£21m	£42m	£42m
Home Energy Scotland Advice and support services	£9.4m	£18m	£21m