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-04412

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it will provide to Edinburgh City Council to help address the reported homelessness issues in the city.

Scotland has led the way in the delivery of affordable housing across the UK with 103,650 affordable homes delivered since 2007, nearly 72,000 of which were for social rent, including 16,432 council homes. And we are committed to delivering a further 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.

Over the period 2007-08 to 2020-21, the City of Edinburgh Council has received more than half a billion (£558.7 million) in grant support from the Scottish Government which has contributed to the delivery of 13,341 affordable homes.

The City of Edinburgh Council will benefit from a further £233.8 million funding for good quality affordable housing across the capital over this parliament. This funding represents an increase of £32.4 million, a 16% increase on the previous five years.

In 2021-22, the City of Edinburgh has also been allocated over £3.33 million for preventing and responding to homelessness, £871,000 for Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPS), as well at £563,000 for RRTPs through the Winter Fund for Social Protection. In addition, the Scottish Government is providing £101,850 to support the delivery of a Rapid Rehousing Welcome Centre in Edinburgh from 4 October 2021 to 2 May 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04406

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reported concerns that participation in sport declines once children reach secondary school age.

We recognise that being physically active is one of the best things we can do for our physical and mental wellbeing. We are committed to providing all children and young people equal opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity. As set out in the Programme for Government we will double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament ensuring more people can enjoy active lives as we recover, improving physical, mental and social health. We will also work with the National Agency for Sport, sports cotland to ensure that Active Schools programmes are free for all children and young people, providing them with more opportunities to take part in sport before, during and after school.

There are also established programmes within secondary schools to address key elements of the sporting system and drive engagement and participation such as sport scotland’s Fit For Girls (FFG) programme to help engage teenage girls where there is a higher drop off in participation. The FFG programme is being delivered across the country to provide solutions workshops for girls and practitioners to help engage inactive teenage girls.

Question reference: S6W-04394

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in (a) maintaining and (b) improving rail infrastructure in West Scotland in each year since 2016.

Network Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the UK Government, and responsibility for determining and monitoring its operation, maintenance and renewal expenditure rests with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Transport Scotland funds Network Rail in accordance with the ORR’s determination, and also provides additional funding for enhancements which we monitor and control closely above the substantial investment in operations, maintenance and renewal. Therefore, under this split arrangement, which is a feature of UK Government rail legislation, the Scottish Government does not hold the full investment information broken down by region within Scotland.

Therefore I would recommend that the member contacts Network Rail or the ORR for the detailed information requested for rail infrastructure investment in the West of Scotland since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-04128

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether COVID-19 booster vaccinations will be registered on the NHS Scotland Covid Status App; what the reasons are for its position on this matter, and, if they will be registered, by what date this will happen.

Yes, work is currently in progress to ensure people can access their COVID-19 booster vaccination information in the app and on the paper and PDF versions through the NHS Portal. It is expected this will be available from December 2021, following the recent agreement of international standards on how to display booster information on 18 November.

Proof of booster vaccinations are not currently a requirement of the domestic certification scheme. However, we are aware that a small number of countries have introduced a vaccine ‘expiry’ point as part of their certification arrangements.

In the meantime, people intending to travel should check the entry requirements of the country they are visiting on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages, as PCR testing is also widely accepted.

Question reference: S6W-04297

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 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, what the application process is for the £10 million of funding to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills.

The £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be made available to households struggling with their energy costs this winter through a range of third sector delivery partners, chiefly the Fuel Bank Foundation, Registered Social Landlords and Advice Direct Scotland, which will be delivering the Home Heating Support Fund. Application processes will be put in place by each delivery organisation and are expected to involve a mix of direct applications and referrals by trusted advice partners.

Question reference: S6W-04500

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03367 by Lorna Slater on 26 October 2021, whether the Deposit Return Scheme will have a phased introduction or will apply to all businesses affected on the same date.

Question reference: S6W-04296

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 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, what eligibility criteria it has applied to the £10 million to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills.

Support from the £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be delivered by third sector partner organisations and will be available to households across Scotland who are at risk of self-disconnecting, or self-rationing their energy use this winter, regardless of tariff type or fuel type.

Through all of the projects supported by the Fuel Insecurity Fund, we will seek to ensure that those receiving help are not just provided with financial support but that they are also connected with wider advice and support on energy efficiency, income maximisation and how to reduce energy bills.

Question reference: S6F-00538

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the use of antidepressant medication among children has increased by more than 80% over the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6F-00531

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report, Towards a Scotland that cares: a new National Outcome on Care for the National Performance Framework, by the University of the West of Scotland, which is supported by Oxfam Scotland, Carers Scotland, Scottish Care, the Scottish Women’s Budget Group and One Parent Families Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00526

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Union Connectivity Review.