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-00579

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being put in place to keep pupils warm while they are in classrooms over the coming months, given the need for adequate ventilation to mitigate the risks of COVID-19.

Question reference: S6O-00571

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what further financial support it considers may be necessary to assist the hospitality sector as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Question reference: S6O-00565

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for people calling Police Scotland’s non-emergency 101 phone line.

Question reference: S6O-00574

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being put in place for the 2022 school examinations.

Question reference: S6O-00569

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Fiscal Commission report, which anticipates a funding shortfall of £190 million in 2022-23 driven by slower growth in employment in Scotland compared to the UK.

Question reference: S6O-00572

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its commitment to increase the number of employee-owned businesses in Scotland to 500 by 2030.

Question reference: S6O-00578

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in recruiting STEM teachers, especially in rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-04757

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release on 29 October 2021 regarding a £41 million Winter Support Fund for low-income households, which organisations have received funding from the £6 million for third sector organisations and how much each received.

To date, the following organisations have been awarded funding from the £6 million funding available through the Winter Support Fund for the third sector:

ORGANISATION	AMOUNT
Aberlour	£250,000
Action for Children	£450,000
Barnardo’s	£345,000
Cash for Kids	£1,250,000
Children 1st	£300,000
Citizens Advice Scotland	£140,000
Churches Action for the Homeless	£500
Corra Foundation	£750,000
Family Fund	£300,000
Families Outside	£52,500
One Parent Families Scotland	£275,000
STV Appeal	£1,200,000
Transform Community Development	£1,000
Who Cares? Scotland	£401,000
TOTAL	£5,715,000

Question reference: S6W-04842

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance community choirs should follow when meeting for rehearsals.

People who participate in performing arts, including community choirs should follow general Covid-19 guidance ( Coronavirus in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This encourages people to get vaccinated, take regular lateral flow tests, wear face coverings, self-isolate and book a PCR test at the onset of symptoms of Covid-19, keep good hygiene and hand-washing practices, open windows indoors, keep distance from people outwith their immediate group, and use the Covid Status, Protection Scotland, and Check In Scotland apps.

In addition to this, community choirs should also follow the Coronavirus (COVID-19): reopening of cultural performances and events guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which contains further information including on face coverings for rehearsals and performances.

Question reference: S6W-04806

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its analysis of the £13 million underspend between initial forecasts and spending in relation to the Scottish Child Payment.

As we set out in the answer to question S6W-04354 on 30 November 2021 there is a £13 million difference between the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecast for Scottish Child Payment expenditure from their January 2021 and August 2021 publications. This does not represent an underspend, it is simply a refinement of their previous forecast.

Scottish Child Payment is a completely new and demand led-benefit, which makes forecasting expenditure more difficult. The Commission revised their forecast once more data became available which suggested a lower number of eligible children.

As we set out in the answer to question S6W-04352 on 30 November 2021, we currently expect Scottish Child Payment expenditure to be in line with the updated forecasts.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .