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-29757

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the air flow cleansing canopy in an NHS Western Isles operating theatre is showing signs of failure, but that this work is reportedly unaffordable in the current financial year.

As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.

Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.

Question reference: S6W-29559

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, how many roles the Mental Health Officer funding allocated in the original 2024-25 budget was expected to fund and what assessment it has made of any impact of this funding being reprioritised on the workforce for this financial year.

Over the past four years, the Scottish Government provided a total of £12.13 million of additional funding to address Mental Health Officer (MHO) shortfall across Scotland. Under the Training Grant Scheme alone, we provided £1.93 million for local authorities to train 83 additional MHOs. This funding exceeded our original commitment to invest £1.5 million over three years to train MHOs. Under the Capacity Increase scheme, the Scottish Government provided another £10.2 million for local authorities to increase MHO capacity. These schemes were intended to run for a limited number of years to alleviate system pressures raised specifically from the pandemic and to allow local government to undertake statutory duties.

Since 2022-23, the Scottish Government has been providing local authorities with an additional £22 million per annum to increase social work capacity in adult services. Given the close links between social workers’ and MHOs’ duties, this additional £44 million in funding is thought to have also benefited MHO capacity.

We monitor the state of the MHO workforce through the annual MHO Report published by the Scottish Social Services Council. The most recent report, published in August 2024, showed an increase of 27 individuals (headcount) working as MHOs, compared to the previous year. This figure represents the net headcount after considering the MHOs who have left the sector. The actual number of MHOs who have joined the workforce over the previous year, therefore, is higher.

In addition to providing funding, the Scottish Government is working closely with partners to improve MHO capacity, for instance, we have set up a Joint Social Services Taskforce with the aim of exploring opportunities to deliver improvements for the adult and children’s social care and social work workforce. This group is exploring options for a pilot exercise to increase capacity for the MHO workforce by reducing administrative burdens.

Question reference: S6W-29565

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to begin issuing bonds, as announced by the previous First Minister.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward a Bond issuance subject to ongoing due diligence.

This will be done in line with our Capital Borrowing strategy and the objectives we published in December 2023 in the Memorandum available at Scottish Government capital borrowing and bonds: memorandum - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

I will say more about our future borrowing plans in the upcoming Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S6W-29299

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Social Work Scotland and (b) chief social work officers, and whether community social work was discussed.

Scottish Government officials meet with Social Work Scotland and Chief Social Work Officers regularly to discuss a range of social work issues. Specifically, Chief Social Work Officer Network meetings are held every fortnight, coordinated by the Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland.

Whilst community social work has not been a specific agenda item on the meetings this year, many of the discussions keep abreast of issues underpinning community social work.

Question reference: S6W-29295

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers community social work as integral to supporting and empowering families to provide a stable and nurturing environment for children and young people, as part of its priority to eradicate child poverty.

The Scottish Government recognises that social work has the greatest impact where practitioners are embedded in communities. This enables them to recognise and understand the challenges people in communities face on a day to day basis, including the existence of child poverty.

Social work has evolved to respond to both the existing and emerging needs of people and their communities, including demographic and societal changes. The Scottish Government understands that, as part of a range of approaches in which social work supports people, the community social work model holds an important place, especially in relation to responding to child poverty and other complex issues which people experience.

Question reference: S6W-29297

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the findings of the community social work pilot approach undertaken by Fife Council, and whether it is considering providing additional resources to local authorities to pilot this approach.

Question reference: S6W-29224

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) companies that provide delivery services regarding any requirements for delivery drivers to wear safety helmets.

The enforcement of traffic offences is an operational matter for Police Scotland, with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority, who act independently of Scottish ministers.

The wearing of cycle helmets is covered by the Highway Code and is a matter reserved to the UK government. The Scottish government endorses the Highway Code, which states: You should wear a cycle helmet that conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened. Evidence suggests that a correctly fitted helmet will reduce your risk of sustaining a head injury in certain circumstances however this latter is not a legal requirement and remains a matter of personal choice.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government takes road safety seriously. Scotland’s Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 - Scotlands Road Safety Framework (RSF2030) was published in February 2021, with the goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world. It adopts the Safe System approach to road safety which is recognised internationally as best practice in road safety delivery. It sets challenging targets for the years ahead, with a 50 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries and a 60 per cent reduction in child fatal and serious injuries by 2030.

Transport Scotland works in collaboration with our road safety partners, to deliver the Road Safety Framework through a three-tier governance structure. This includes Police Scotland, who are represented at each level of governance.

Question reference: S6O-03773

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the Music Venues Trust regarding the introduction of a ticket levy, on a voluntary or statutory basis, for stadium and arena shows, to support grassroots culture venues.

Question reference: S6O-03777

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Holyrood Park Strategic Plan, what the timeline is for Historic Environment Scotland to complete its Movement Strategy and deliver on its 10 objectives for the park.

Question reference: S6O-03779

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding failings.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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