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-00055

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail in regard to the ongoing industrial action.

Responsibility for collective bargaining rests with ScotRail and the Unions concerned. The Scottish Government has advised both railway Unions and ScotRail of the substantial additional funding provided to maintain full employment of railway staff throughout the pandemic period. And therefore, that any pay increase, including any further increase to overtime payments for rest day working, would need to be funded by efficiencies agreed through meaningful discussions.

Throughout the process, the Scottish Government has encouraged all parties to resolve this issue for the benefit of passengers, staff, the environment and the economy.

Question reference: S6W-00056

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to resolve the industrial action by ScotRail staff that is impacting on the delivery of train services.

Question reference: S6F-00067

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will consider issuing a formal apology to the historic victims of forced adoption.

Question reference: S6F-00059

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to a recent survey stating that 29% of police officers are experiencing moderate burnout, and a further 16% are enduring high levels.

Question reference: S6F-00058

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to ensure there are sufficient resources in place to prevent schools exceeding its maximum class size limits during the next academic year, in light of reports that a number of schools are currently exceeding these limits.

Question reference: S6F-00048

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the extension of the deadline for application to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Question reference: S6F-00041

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00039

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00040

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-00165

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the funding it provided to (a) Glasgow City Council and (b) all local authorities in its Budget for the current financial year was sufficient to protect community facilities, and whether it plans to increase the amount of funding it provides to local authorities during the current parliamentary session.

The 2021-22 local government finance settlement of almost £11.7 billion includes an additional £375.6 million. or 3.5 per cent for day-to-day revenue spending and represents a fair settlement. In addition, the value of the overall COVID-19 support package for councils now totals more than £1.5 billion and the Scottish Government also agreed a package of financial flexibilities for Scotland's councils to provide further assistance in responding to the pandemic.

Glasgow City Council will receive a total funding package of almost £1.5 billion to support local services, which includes an extra £29.8 million to support vital day to day services, equivalent to an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to 2020-21. To date, the council has been allocated an additional £221.7 million to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the local government settlement - over and above their regular grant payments.

In addition, Glasgow City Council will receive their fair share of a further £137 million included in the original 2021-22 local government finance settlement which is currently undistributed. The Council will also receive their fair share of the subsequent 2021-22 funding since the announcement of the settlement and any future funding will continue to be discussed and agreed with COSLA.

However, it is the responsibility of individual councils to manage their own budgets and to allocate the financial resources available to them, including on community facilities, on the basis of local needs and priorities. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

Decisions on local government budget allocations for future years are subject to the outcome of negotiations with COSLA.