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: S6O-02122

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Independent Age, which states that one in seven people in Scotland over the State Pension age live in poverty.

Question reference: S6O-02111

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve effective communication and collaboration between health and social care providers.

Question reference: S6O-02113

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many social care posts remain unfilled across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02117

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports low-income families in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6O-02116

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes it has delivered in the past year.

Question reference: S6O-02114

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting NHS boards, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which have outsourced Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in order to reduce waiting times, to bring such services back in-house.

Question reference: S6W-17198

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its response is to the UK Secretary of State for Scotland’s use of section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to prevent the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from proceeding to Royal Assent, after it was passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Scottish Parliament, with support from members of all parties. The use of section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to stop the legislation proceeding to Royal Assent is an unprecedented challenge to the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate on clearly devolved matters.

The Order was made without any specific prior engagement or notification by the Secretary of State during the Bill process. It was made without any specific request for amendments to the Bill from any UK Minister. Since the Order was laid, and despite requests, the Secretary of State and the UK Government have refused to provide any further clarification or engagement with the Scottish Government or Scottish Parliament. We have offered to discuss specific changes to the Bill with the Secretary of State, but given that this offer has not been taken up, it is impossible to know what changes would satisfy the reasons the UK Government has given, particularly as he has highlighted that the existence of two different schemes within the UK is in itself problematic.

To uphold the democratic decision of the Parliament, and ensure proper protection of devolution, Scottish Ministers will now lodge a petition for judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision. The Scottish Government does not consider the reasons set out by him provide sufficient justification for his decision to make an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act. The Scottish Government also believes that the UK Government has not used the power in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Devolved Governments (agreed in 1999 and updated in 2013), or as envisaged when the Scotland Act was passed.

While the Scotland Act conferred the power in Section 35 on the Secretary of State, its use is unprecedented, so it is important to have clarity on the interpretation and scope of the power, and its impact on devolution. Those matters and the use of the power on this occasion should be legally tested in the courts.

The deadline for lodging a petition necessitates doing so during recess but I will make a statement to Parliament after the Easter recess, subject to agreement of the parliamentary bureau.

As is usual in these circumstances, the Scottish Government will not be able to comment on live legal proceedings.

Question reference: S6W-15920

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed Legal Services Regulation Reform Bill, what progress it has made towards (a) establishing a panel to review the future of the legal profession and (b) engaging with stakeholders representing the (i) consumer and (ii) legal perspective, as committed to in its response to the findings of the consultation analysis report on legal services regulation reform.

A working group to consider the future of the of the legal profession in Scotland has been convened and will be jointly chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, the Law Society of Scotland, and the Faculty of Advocates. The purpose of the group is to examine the evidence and propose improvements to address the challenges of recruitment and retention within the legal profession and to provide support for the planning, collaboration, and improvement of legal services in Scotland.

The first meeting of the short life working group will be held on 25 April 2023, and invitations have already been issued to members of the Group. Future meetings of the Group have been confirmed for 30 August 2023 and 5 December 2023.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on the 20 April 2023. This was developed in response to a consultation that was developed in collaboration with consumers and the legal profession and responses to that public consultation.

As the Bill progresses through parliament, we will continue to engage with key stakeholders from the consumer and legal side, to collaboratively consider reform of the regulation of legal services, to provide for a modern regulatory framework for Scotland that will best promote competition, innovation and the public and consumer interest in an efficient and independent legal sector.

Question reference: S6W-16312

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to Historic Environment Scotland for the financial year 2023-24.

The Scottish Government’s grant in aid to Historic Environment Scotland in 2023-24 is to support the priorities agreed by Ministers in its corporate plan, Heritage for All, and enables HES to invest in fair staff pay, in running and maintaining its properties, in giving grants to the heritage sector and in fulfilling its advisory and regulatory functions.

The public sector reform agenda announced as part of the 2023-24 budget is to ensure public services remain sustainable and are best placed to deliver improved outcomes. Guidance has been issued to Historic Environment Scotland and other public bodies around key themes including where savings, improved performance and improved service delivery can be achieved by working together.

Updated Fair Work First guidance was published on 24 March, that supports public sector grant managers and recipients to pay at minimum the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, within the limits on devolved competence, from 1 July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16271

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Scottish Public Finance Manual, and whether it has any plans to (a) update and (b) review it.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is subject to a programme of regular updates. Specifically, sections are updated as and when amendments are required, due to changes in policy of Scottish Ministers, with the guide also being subject to an annual review. To achieve this SG Financial Management Directorate lead on and liaise annually with policy owners to identify any planned changes to the guide ensuring guidance is updated in real time throughout the year. Significant updates to the guide are communicated to public bodies and to SG via Finance Guidance notes published on the SPFM and provided to Public Bodies via information notices.

The SG is currently undertaking a strategic review of the SPFM during 2023-24. This review will seek to enhance existing processes and frameworks ensuring the SPFM remains up to date, aligned with best practice and accessible to key stakeholders, continuing to promote economy efficiency, effectiveness and high standards of propriety, regularity, and value for money.