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: S6T-00688

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it is making to support people in Scotland, in light of the reported comments by the chief executive of Scottish Power warning that 10 million UK homes could potentially be in fuel poverty this winter.

Question reference: S6T-00685

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with INEOS regarding possible restructuring at the Grangemouth Refinery.

Question reference: S6T-00687

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to provide local support to new mothers who require a specialist mental health bed with their baby, following recent reports that many are having to travel hundreds of miles in order to receive the treatment they need.

Question reference: S6W-08328

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its new Global Affairs Framework to guide Scotland’s international engagement.

The Scottish Government will publish the new Global Affairs Framework today.

The Global Affairs Framework sets out the values and principles underpinning the Scottish Government’s international work and the basis on which the Scottish Government will prioritise its international activity.

The framework aligns our international activities with our overall approach and priorities, notably: supporting progress to meet our child poverty targets, addressing climate change and securing a stronger, fairer, economy. We are also determined that Scotland should be a good global citizen, making a constructive contribution to addressing global challenges.

For any government, the global and regional context inevitably impacts on the achievement of domestic objectives. That is why it is imperative that Scotland becomes more active internationally.

Question reference: S6W-07959

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding will be available for new Cycle Two flood defence schemes, in light of any Cycle One budget overruns.

Question reference: S6W-07720

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the ramifications are of the data breach at SEPA in December 2020 for Scotland’s environment.

SEPA’s most critical services, including flood forecasting and warning service and its 24-hour pollution hotline, were restored on the day of the attack. SEPA maintained its ability to receive reports of and to attend environmental incidents, prioritising those with highest potential impacts on the environment and/or communities. SEPA continues to monitor compliance with environmental laws and continues to take enforcement action where necessary.

In the 15 months since the attack, SEPA has issued 317 flood warnings, provided information on bathing water quality throughout the 2021 season and has issued fixed monetary penalties, required enforcement undertakings and has successfully prosecuted those that break environmental laws.

SEPA remains impacted by the attack and significant work is ongoing to build back. Latest information on current service status and recovery of SEPA, is available to all stakeholders and updated weekly, which outlines progress and level of service to expect: https://regulatoryapproach.sepa.org.uk/cyber-attack-service-status

SEPA will shortly publish a Regulatory Report outlining its regulatory work in 2020 and 2021 and which will provide information about compliance during the period covered by both the pandemic and the cyber-attack.

SEPA continue to play a vital role in Scotland’s response to the challenges faced from Climate Emergency and Biodiversity loss.

Question reference: S6W-07950

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on removing the Abellio logo and name from livery, documentation and other parts of the train and rail infrastructure.

Question reference: S6W-07838

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many counsellors to support adoptees will be recruited or trained as part of the recently announced £145,000 of funding.

The funding of around £145,000 was announced to establish specialist support, counselling and the introduction of peer support groups.

We have introduced a working group to assist with the implementation of peer support groups. The group includes people with lived experience, and representatives from Health in Mind and the Scottish Recovery Network. Both organisations have extensive knowledge and experience in setting up and maintaining peer-support in many different areas across the country.

Question reference: S6W-08251

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Young Persons Allowance component of the Employability Fund will be continuing, and, if so, what criteria applicants must meet for this, and whether there are plans to change the criteria in the near future.

Through No One Left behind, we are delivering an all age approach to employability that is flexible and person centred. It promotes a strengthened partnership approach where the spheres of government work together with partners across the public, private and third sector to make informed, evidence based decisions on required support, flexing these to meet emerging labour market demands.

Phase 2 of No One Left Behind commenced in April 2022 with funding previously allocated to the Employability Fund and Community Jobs Scotland transferring from national to local governance.

Those participants aged 16-17 years old, and those aged 18 who are not in receipt of benefits, who are participating for between 10-30 hours per week will continue to be eligible to be paid a training allowance while undertaking training through No One Left Behind. There are no plans to change the criteria in the near future.

Question reference: S6W-08077

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will encourage Glasgow City Council to introduce an annual and consistent increase in foster carers allowance.