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-22538

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the additional £100 million of funding for arts and culture includes, and, in particular, whether it includes an explicit increase to the national performing companies annual budget line for the next five years.

On 17 October the First Minister announced plans that will see Scottish Government investment in arts and culture more than double, so that in five years investment will be £100 million higher than it is now. Ministers will take decisions about where the funding is allocated in 2024-25 and future years subject to the outcome of the Scottish Budget process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. The draft budget will be published later this year and will be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny in early 2024. The Scottish Government intends to present the Draft Budget 2024-25 to Parliament on 19 December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22536

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's announcement of an additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector on 17 October 2023, how this figure was arrived at; how the funding will be distributed over the next five years, and whether it will be attributed on an annual rolling basis, or using a multi-year approach.

The draft budget will be published later this year and will be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny in early 2024. The Scottish Government intends to present the Draft Budget 2024-25 to Parliament on 19 December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22539

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture was first made aware of the First Minister’s decision to announce an additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector on 17 October 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22537

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timeline outlining when decisions about the distribution of the additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector will be made, and, if so, when.

Ministers will take decisions about where the funding is allocated in 2024-25 and future years subject to the outcome of the Scottish Budget process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. The draft budget will be published later this year and will be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny in early 2024. The Scottish Government intends to present the Draft Budget 2024-25 to Parliament on 19 December 2023.

Question reference: S6O-02689

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported planned closure of Erskine Park Home.

Question reference: S6O-02646

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees is taking to support Show Racism the Red Card.

Can I firstly take the opportunity to thank Show Racism the Red Card for their work - I was proud to join fellow MSPs and the First Minister at the photocall that Mr Bibby organised a few weeks ago. I understand that they have engaged with officials across Ministerial portfolios over the years and while they do not currently receive funding from the Scottish Government, they are welcome to apply to future competitive funding opportunities. For example, Ministers are currently considering how we can best fund and support vital work within the Equality & Human Rights portfolio.

Question reference: S6O-02663

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for its 2024-25 Budget.

Question reference: S6W-21969

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether ministerial responsibility for fair work in the culture sector sits with the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, or with the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.

Question reference: S6O-02512

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to support the work of the Inverclyde Task Force, including in relation to investment in facilities at Ferguson Marine.

Question reference: S6W-19484

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to deliver a fair pay offer to local government workers and to prevent trade union strike action in Glasgow's parking services and velodrome impacting on the Cycling World Championships.

I am aware that all three of the SJC Trade Unions have balloted members on proposed industrial action. However, the negotiations on local government pay are rightly between COSLA as the representative of the employer, local government, and the Trade Unions representing the workforce. The Scottish Government has no role in those negotiations and, the recently signed Verity House Agreement, contains an explicit commitment to respect the existing negotiating arrangements for pay.

Let me emphasise that I recognise and value the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. I also recognise the challenging financial circumstances workers face in the current cost of living crisis. In recognition of this, and despite the most challenging financial settlement since devolution, we have already provided £155 million in additional funding to support the current local government pay offer for 2023-24 which COSLA Leaders agreed to on 31 March.

The Scottish Government recognises that any offer made by COSLA needs to provide a balance of fairness with affordability and sustainability and recognise the essential contribution of the local government workforce. I note the offer on the table from COSLA is worth 5.5% in year and the average uplift on salaries going into the next financial year is 7%. Importantly, the offer is progressive and means those on the Scottish Local Government Living Wage would get 9.12% and those at some of the higher grades would see a rise of 6.05%. I understand that the offer made by COSLA already goes beyond the maximum uplift indicated within the Scottish Public Sector Pay strategy, reflecting the funding identified by COSLA, alongside the contribution from the Scottish Government, and the value placed on the local government workforce.

In the spirit of the Verity House Agreement, we will continue to work in partnership with COSLA to help in any way we can to support them. I encourage both parties to engage with each other to reach a negotiated settlement to avoid industrial action.