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: S5O-02032

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages people to consider becoming teachers in STEM subjects.

Question reference: S5O-02023

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the practice of unpaid work trials.

Question reference: S5O-01892

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS monitors children diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome.

Question reference: S5O-01761

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to end unpaid work trials.

The Scottish Government opposes the use of unpaid work trials and is concerned about how the Department for Work and Pensions is promoting them through Jobcentre Plus.

If a trial period is offered, then this should be paid whether this leads to permanent employment or not.

Whilst employment law is reserved to Westminster, we are using all levers at our disposal to promote Fair Work and to tackle worker exploitation. Initiatives such as the Scottish Business Pledge, encouraging the payment of at least the real Living Wage, and supporting strong industrial relations, are making a real difference to workers throughout the country.

Question reference: S5O-01736

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to empower community councils.

Question reference: S5O-01707

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding introducing a safe injection room for drug users in Glasgow.

Question reference: S5O-01483

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to the family of Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton, in light of reports that he is being held in prison in Punjab without charge and has faced torture.

Question reference: S5O-01414

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 9 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any correspondence that it has had with the UK Government regarding the release of the Brexit impact study on Scotland.

Earlier this month I wrote to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, to ask for further discussions with devolved administrations on the analysis of sectorial issues in each part of the United Kingdom. We are still in dark on many issues and the impact the UK Government believe Brexit will have on Scotland and our economy.

We have been told there is a Scotland analysis, and then that there is not. Now we have been told there are 58 pieces of sectoral analysis but the government will not release these for at least three weeks.

These 58 documents should be made available to the Scottish Government so we have a collective understanding of the analysis available to support negotiations and decisions about the UK position for those negotiations.

Question reference: S5O-01359

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it helps people in receipt of universal credit with managing their money.

The Scottish Government is using its new social security powers to give people in Scotland more choice in how they manage their Universal Credit benefit.

From 4 October, people making new claims in full service Universal Credit areas can choose to be paid either monthly or twice monthly and have their rent paid direct to their landlord.

The new Scottish Universal Credit choices have been warmly welcomed by people in receipt of Universal Credit, welfare advisors, local authorities and landlords. However, it will not address the fundamental flaws with Universal Credit – and that is why the Scottish Government, along with many others, has repeatedly called on the UK Government to halt the roll out of Universal Credit, until all the implementation issues are fully addressed.

Question reference: S5O-01107

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it considers negative media coverage of the education system could have on pupils and teachers.