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: S6F-00528

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-00523

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00524

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00525

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the advances that the Scottish Government has made in relation to the British Sign Language National Plan.

Question reference: S6T-00329

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that people are shutting down their electric and rationing their energy use in the face of rising charges.

Question reference: S6T-00328

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported number of deaths of homeless people in 2020.

Question reference: S6W-04449

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring together public, private and third sector stakeholders to inform and drive the policy decisions that will help reset working lives in a positive way that supports both good mental health and economic productivity.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with the public, private and third sectors on economic policy developments, including Fair Work, and our upcoming National Strategy for Economic Transformation. Fair Work is a key driver for sustainable and inclusive economic growth; it sits at the heart of our wellbeing economy ambitions and is central to economic recovery and renewal. A key strand of our Fair Work Action Plan is creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces, and our Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan contains a commitment to work with employers to support the development of mentally flourishing workplaces and also to develop pathways that enable those seeking to enter or remain in work to access appropriate and timely mental health and employability support.

As I highlighted in the Sustainable Procurement and Fair Work debate on 2 November 2021, we have launched a public consultation on the action needed to ensure Scotland becomes a Fair Work Nation. The consultation has been informed by discussions with key stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors and workshops are being held to gather wider views. I encourage you and members to promote this consultation to employers and workers across their constituencies.

Question reference: S6W-04448

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to meet the third sector organisations that are proposing the establishment of a statutory so-called future of work commission to help improve workplace wellbeing.

The Scottish Government recognises the issues raised by third sector organisations regarding the impact the Covid pandemic has had and is having on working lives, especially those in low-paid or insecure jobs. That is why a range of actions have been set out in the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Strategy and the broader Covid Recovery Strategy to mitigate negative impacts on workers and to improve the financial security of lower income households.

Our overarching vision to become a Fair Work Nation by 2025 is central to addressing issues of job insecurity, in-work poverty and under-employment – priorities that will also be reflected through the forthcoming National Strategy for Economic Transformation. The Scottish Government is committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of workers across Scotland and will keep a future of work commission under review.

Question reference: S6W-04443

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to work with universities and student associations to resolve any accommodation shortages that impacted students at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

Scottish Government officials met with representatives from the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland on 14 October to discuss the shortage of available student accommodation this academic year. The matter was also discussed at the meetings of the Covid Recovery Group and the Purpose Built Student Accommodation Steering Group on 20 October, and at the Student Accommodation Group meeting on 4 November. The issue of housing capacity was highlighted in these meetings, and proposals for dedicated meetings with universities and accommodation providers from areas experiencing particular problems in this academic period were explored, and will be taken forward.

The Scottish Government has no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation whether the accommodation is managed by universities or private sector organisations. However, we remain committed to working further with universities and student associations to develop solutions to the present shortfall in renting opportunities for students.

Our Programme for Government commitment to review Purpose Built Student Accommodation and our 100 days commitment to establish the next stage of this, is already underway and will be taken forward in parallel with work to ensure rent affordability and improving standards across the private rented sector.

Question reference: S6W-04323

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 29 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to ensure that the roll-out of 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare allows for flexibility in order to meet the individual needs of every child.

All local authorities are now offering 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to all eligible children. Figures published in October 2021 by the Improvement Service show that at the end of August 2021, nearly 91,000 children in Scotland were accessing funded early learning and childcare. Of these 91,000 children, 97% are accessing expanded provision, and 87% - nearly 80,000 children – are choosing to take up the full 1140 hours on offer.

Each local authority is responsible for developing a local ELC offer that meets local people’s needs and circumstances, working in partnership with providers, and they have a statutory duty under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to consult with parents every 2 years on how they provide these services.

This will help local authorities to ensure that there is an appropriate mix of providers and patterns of delivery within each authority area, and that is delivered in a way which is responsive to parental demand.

In each local authority area parents should be able to choose from a range of types of setting, offering different patterns of provision, and which meet the National Standard, but we do not expect every setting to offer every possible pattern of provision that a parent may request.

Local authorities have worked incredibly hard with their partners to introduce the expanded ELC offer while dealing with the challenging circumstances and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local ELC offers will continue to evolve in response to patterns of demand and local circumstances.