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-14404

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards include patient-reported outcomes as part of their clinical consultations, with a view to discussing emotional health.

Question reference: S6W-14946

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to employers in the care sector to help them pay employees the Living Wage.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding to ensure that adult social care workers, delivering direct care in the third and independent sectors, are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW).

From April 2023, these workers will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour; in line with the RLW rate for the 2023/24 Financial Year. This represents an increase of 3.8% from the £10.50 minimum rate that was introduced in April 2022 and is a 14.7% increase for these workers in the last two years; with pay rising from at least £9.50 per hour in April 2021 to at least £10.90 in April 2023.

This funding will be delivered through Local Government contracts and the Scottish Government will transfer £100 million to Local Government to deliver this uplift to providers in the third and independent sectors; this investment takes Scottish Government recurring funding for adult social care pay in commissioned services to £0.6 billion per year.

Question reference: S6W-14731

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has made of the different pay scales for adult and child social care staff.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving fair work practices across the social care sector.

There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland; and each of these providers will have their own internal pay scales.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has delivered funding to ensure adult social care workers are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW). Our ambition is that all care workers, including those working in the children’s sector, are paid the Real Living Wage as a minimum. Work to better understand the current composition of the Children’s social care sector is taking place in collaboration with key stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-14552

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether mental health professionals within the NHS are trained to identify pressures of financial strain in patients and signpost to money advice services if appropriate.

As part of a person-centred assessment, Mental Health professionals (e.g. mental health nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists) working in the NHS are skilled in discussing a wide range of factors that may impact a person’s mental health and wellbeing. This could include financial wellbeing where they will signpost to appropriate help or liaise with local services and/or local authority colleagues.

More specific training on financial wellbeing/inclusion takes place locally, as part of local initiatives and/or promoted through partnership approaches. This is a matter for local partnerships/health boards and as such this information is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-14865

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-13235 and S6W-13236 by Mairi Gougeon on 20 December 2022, when it anticipates that (a) the report from the UK Animal Welfare Committee regarding the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter will be published and (b) any recommendations in the report will be implemented, following its completion.

Question reference: S6W-14550

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it undertakes any mental health and wellbeing impact assessments in formulating new policy, and, if this is not the case, whether it will consider creating a mental health impact assessment tool, as recommended by the Mental Health Foundation.

We do not currently routinely require formal mental health and wellbeing impact assessments. However, we expect that careful consideration of any effects on mental health is a feature of the formulation of all new Government policy; and link across directorates to facilitate this.

The Mental Health Foundation has responded to the public consultation on the forthcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy with a recommendation that all Government departments should consider how their policies impact mental health. We are carefully considering all consultation responses as we develop the new Strategy, due to be published in Spring 2023. The Strategy will be evidence-based, informed by lived experience, and underpinned by equality and human rights.

Question reference: S6O-01929

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Hydrogen Action Plan, including regarding the role that local authorities can play in defining demand.

Question reference: S6O-01926

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it will provide to local authorities in response to reported concerns about swimming pool closures.

Question reference: S6O-01924

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, 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 whether it will provide an update on the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6O-01925

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many free bicycles it has issued to children in Glasgow.