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-02119

Current Status: Withdrawn

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: 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-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-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: S6W-16706

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the recommendations from the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme: Final Report will be put into effect.

The concept of a Suckler Beef Climate Scheme (SBCS) was one output of the Farmer Led Group initiative, which was followed by the establishment of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).

The ARIOB is supporting the Scottish Government to develop new proposals for sustainable farm support by considering the Climate Change Plan Update and the Farmer-led Groups recommendations, including the recommendations from the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme: Final Report.

In February we published the route map for agriculture reform. The route map provides more detail on how we will deliver the transition process and the steps we will take to get there. Alongside our route map we published a potential list of measures, intended to show farmers and crofters what conditions are being considered for implantation in future support. In this draft list of measures we have identified cattle nutrition, cattle health and genetics as areas of interest for future support conditions, these measures build on the recommendations made in the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme: Final Report which recognised health, nutrition and improved breeding as areas with significant emissions reduction potential.

Decisions on the future support framework and any specific measures will be determined as part of the wider agricultural reform process. Work is ongoing and we remain committed to a co-design approach. This includes continued work with the (ARIOB) and engagement with wider industry.

Question reference: S6W-16713

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the final and statutory version of its guidance on the guiding principles on the environment, under section 17 of UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

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.