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-14823

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made, since the Children (Scotland) Bill became an Act in October 2020, regarding its commitment to introduce guidance on children in care maintaining a connection with former foster carers, which was made during the amending stages of the Bill, and, if it is the case that the guidance has not progressed, what it is doing to fulfil its commitment to ensure that children in care do not face any detrimental impact due to such broken relationships.

The Scottish Government values the commitment that foster carers make to providing safe and loving homes for children and young people who are not able to stay with their own families. As part of Keeping The Promise, we are taking action to support children and young people to maintain the connections and friendships that are most important to them.

Whilst the Scottish Government has not published specific guidance on maintaining contact with former foster carers, the principle of helping children and young people maintain positive relationships is at the heart of the Staying Together and Connected guidance published in July 2021. This guidance has been supported by a National Implementation Group whose work is due to conclude in Spring. Part of the Group’s work has been to consider what more we can do to better understand, map and support the key relationships that are important to children and young people.

The Why Not? Trust has developed a Directory called Why Not? Reconnect which provides adults, who experienced foster care in their childhood, the opportunity to reconnect with those foster families who cared for them. The Directory is funded through the Promise Partnership Fund, a Scottish Government Fund aimed at delivering work to Keep The Promise.

Question reference: S6W-15012

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the exact date on which it requested data from the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the Winter Heating Payment.

Throughout our programme of work to deliver the new Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, the Scottish Government engaged regularly with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and emphasised the need for data to be transferred as early as possible.

DWP were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January. The Scottish Government and DWP have begun discussions about the feasibility of moving payments forward for future years.

Question reference: S6O-01970

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any post-legislative reviews of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) Scotland Act 2022 are being conducted.

Question reference: S6W-14778

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential delays to the delivery of the Winter Heating Payment, and when the payments will reach those in need.

There has been no delay to making Winter Heating Payments. Payments started in February and will continue to be made automatically during March to support 400,000 eligible people.

While it was not possible to make payments earlier this year since the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January, the Scottish Government is working with the DWP to review the feasibility of bringing forward payments in future years.

Question reference: S6W-14949

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its consideration of the final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review.

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review published its final report on 30 September 2022 and set out over 200 proposals for reform. The report recommendations are complex and wide-ranging, and cross-government work is underway to consider them and assess their implications.

We intend to set out our initial Scottish Government response to the Review report, including priority actions that will be taken forward, by summer 2023.

Question reference: S6O-01916

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of paying the Winter Heating Payment in November rather than February.

Question reference: S6F-01771

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the First Minister what schemes the Scottish Government has in place to support disabled people with the energy costs of running lifesaving and independent living equipment at home.

Question reference: S6W-13907

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13088 by Patrick Harvie on 10 January 2023, which states that the timing and scope of the Bill is subject to ongoing review and consideration as it continues to deliver its emergency response to support tenants through the ongoing cost of living crisis, whether the scope of the Bill will also include how the Scottish Government will increase the number of accessible homes in Scotland.

As I announced to Parliament on 19 January 2023, the Scottish Government intends to introduce the Housing Bill – which will include long-term rent control measures – as soon as possible after the 2023 summer recess.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the supply of accessible homes as set out in the long term housing strategy Housing to 2040. We are in the process of reviewing the Housing for Varying Needs design guide. This guide is a key reference document for the affordable housing sector in Scotland and we plan to consult on proposed changes to the guide this spring. It is intended that the review of the Housing for Varying Needs design guide will directly inform the development of an all-tenure Scottish Accessible Homes Standard, which will be implemented through changes to building standards and guidance from 2025-26. This will improve the accessibility of new build homes from the outset.

Question reference: S6W-14043

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to bring forward pilot schemes regarding accessibility in Scottish elections, and whether any such pilot schemes have taken place to date.

Improving the accessibility of elections is a key element of the Scottish Government’s electoral reform agenda. It is our ambition to remove or reduce barriers that some voters face and to improve the accessibility of elections.

We have been working with RNIB Scotland and the Forth Valley Sensory Centre over several months to consider potential solutions and technology to assist people with sight loss to cast their votes, including testing audio devices. RNIB Scotland will also shortly undertake testing of a tactile ballot paper solution at the Centre. We will then consider feedback from these initial trials of the tactile ballots papers and, working in collaboration with our partners in Local Government, electoral administrators and the Electoral Commission, produce proposals for next steps. I anticipate we should be in a position to report progress and set out future proposals and plans to Parliament in the summer.

In addition, as part of the Government’s current consultation on electoral reform we are asking for views on how the accessibility of elections could be improved and what changes might be made in law. The consultation closes on 15 March - available at https://consult.gov.scot/constitution-and-cabinet/electoral-reform/ . I look forward to reading the responses which will help inform our work going forward.

Question reference: S6W-13977

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will re-open its national frameworks for the Supply of Electricity and Supply of Natural Gas to new customers, including eligible third sector organisations.