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: S4W-00077

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) existing and (b) additional funding it will provide for services such as (i) childcare, (ii) support for sick and disabled people and (iii) independent advice to mitigate the impact of budget reductions on vulnerable groups, as recommended in the Poverty Alliance's The 100 Day Challenge: Anti-Poverty Priorities for the next Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-00075

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether responsibility for tackling poverty will be co-ordinated by the First Minister's office.

Question reference: S4W-00074

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to implement the recommendations in the Poverty Alliance's The 100 Day Challenge: Anti-Poverty Priorities for the next Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-00079

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconvene the Tackling Poverty Board and broaden its membership to involve people in poverty and other stakeholders in the ongoing development of anti-poverty policy, as recommended in the Poverty Alliance's The 100 Day Challenge: Anti-Poverty Priorities for the next Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-00078

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will initiate a campaign to raise awareness of the reality of living in poverty and to tackle prejudice toward people living in poverty, as recommended in the Poverty Alliance's The 100 Day Challenge: Anti-Poverty Priorities for the next Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-00076

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a Scottish living wage unit, as recommended in the Poverty Alliance's The 100 Day Challenge: Anti-Poverty Priorities for the next Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-00174

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is provided to NHS boards regarding the provision of mental health services for LGBT people.

NHS boards and their partners are expected to plan and deliver services in line with relevant legislation including the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 which has at its heart fundamental principles to ensure equal access to health care: participation; non-discrimination; respect for diversity; reciprocity; and equality.

We are currently supporting the LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing, in partnership with NHS Lothian, to conduct a project which is contributing to the understanding of LGBT communities and their mental health and wellbeing needs, and delivering specialist mental health support to LGBT people in Lothian. The outcome of this work will assist NHS boards across Scotland in the planning and provision of mental health services for LGBT people.

Question reference: S4W-00173

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will meet its aim of creating a mentally flourishing Scotland.

We will work with our partners and continue to build on the success of delivering a wide range of policies including the towards a mentally flourishing scotland (TAMFS) policy and action plan designed to improve mental health and wellbeing and making a step change in how we, as a society, look after our own and others’ mental health.

TAMFS demonstrated the Scottish Government’s continuing commitment to promoting mental health improvement and has driven further progress in addressing stigma, preventing common mental health problems, suicide and self-harm; and improving the quality of life of those experiencing mental health problems.

Integration of policy and practice on mental health promotion and mental health service delivery will be a key challenge for this work in the future.

Question reference: S4W-00073

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to create new jobs and tackle unemployment in West Dunbartonshire, given that research by the TUC indicates that the area has the highest rate of claimants per vacancy in Britain, with over 40 claimants applying for every vacancy.

Based on the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (April 2011), West Dunbartonshire has a claimants to vacancies ratio of 30.5, which is the fourth highest in Britain. Against this backdrop, we remain firmly committed to supporting a more sustainable labour market in West Dunbartonshire and its surrounding area.

For example, 75 jobs were created in Dunbartonshire last year through Regional Selective Assistance grants totaling over £900,000. In addition, Scottish Enterprise has 36 Account Managed businesses in West Dunbartonshire, 86% of them in key and growth sectors.

From 1 July, a further £2.7 million is being made available to the area through the new Priority 5 European Structural Funds (ESF) programme. This investment is planned to help at least 480 people into employment. West Dunbartonshire also forms an integral part of the Clyde Waterfront Partnership, which aims to develop a vibrant, thriving River Clyde with people and communities at its heart. Since its inception a combined private and public investment of almost £1,800 million, including £80 million from Scottish Enterprise, has been effective in creating over 18,000 new jobs.

Finally, West Dunbartonshire Council has gone to considerable lengths recently to revise its Single Outcome Agreement to have a much clearer and stronger focus on jobs. This includes urgent action to align a range of key services for the unemployed under a single management structure.

I am hopeful that these combined initiatives and investments will lay a strong foundation for jobs and growth in West Dunbartonshire.

Question reference: S4F-00015

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2011

To ask the First Minister what measures the Scottish Government will take to ensure the highest possible standards of care are in place for older people.