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-16042

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 18 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will sign the Miscarriage Association's Pregnancy Loss Pledge and implement its standards in relation to support for all of its employees.

The SPCB, as the employer of its staff, is committed to reviewing its policy arrangements to ensure that it supports staff who experience baby loss, including pregnancy-related leave. Officials have been looking at developing the SPCB’s current approach, in line with the guidance within the Pledge, to support those colleagues who may experience loss through their pregnancy. The SPCB is currently able to offer support in the form of paid special leave, through the Positive about Mental Health and Wellbeing policy, the Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health. Any arrangements that are adopted for Scottish Parliament staff will also form part of the minimum terms and conditions for MSPs’ staff. Finally, we’re currently working with an external provider to review the Parliament’s Diversity and Inclusion progress and priorities, and this will include our approach to partnerships and accreditations.

Question reference: S6W-16173

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15741 by Ben Macpherson on 23 March 2023, whether it will provide updated figures on how many people received the Winter Heating Payment in February 2023, and how many outstanding payments remained to be made as of 20 March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16201

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to top up the Scottish Child Payment for parents under 25.

Question reference: S6W-16426

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs has unanimously recommended that the European Union criminalise ecocide through a revised Directive on the protection of the environment, what action it will take to ensure that Scotland's environmental laws are in line with EU law.

The Scottish Government will consider the final revised EU environmental crime directive, once it is agreed, against our policy as stated in the Policy Statement issued under section 6 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 to maintain alignment where appropriate with EU law, taking account of our existing actions to strengthen the legal protection of nature.

Question reference: S6W-15627

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding the potential impact on Scotland, on calls for a permanent tax on energy companies' excess profits to help support families struggling with the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government believes that windfall taxes should be levied on unearned, excess profits to fund support for struggling households and businesses. However, windfall profits are not permanent by definition. A permanent, additional tax on energy companies predominantly based in Scotland would therefore not be appropriate, and may serve to undermine businesses’ confidence and investment in an important sector of Scotland’s economy.

Question reference: S6W-16035

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) meetings and (b) other discussions are planned between the First Minister and the Prime Minister.

Question reference: S6W-16041

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to signing the Miscarriage Association's Pregnancy Loss Pledge and implementing its standards across all of its workplaces.

We are fully committed through our employment policies and procedures to support employees who experience pregnancy loss at any stage of pregnancy and our current package of support measures fully reflect the spirit and intent of the Pregnancy Loss Pledge.

This includes the terms of our bereavement policy, which include miscarriage and stillbirth, as well as through a number of sources of support for colleagues who have experienced loss including:

guidance and support from line managers;
HR People Advice and Wellbeing support; and
an internal Counselling and Wellbeing Team.

Colleagues can also access the Employee Assistance Programme for external confidential support.

Question reference: S6W-16544

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14327 by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide a timeline for the (a) Health and Social Care Alliance programme and (b) Wellbeing of Women research project, and whether its findings will be made publicly available.

The Scottish Government commissioned the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland to undertake a programme of lived experience engagement and information sharing, that supports the implementation of the Women’s Health Plan: 2021 - 2024 over the lifetime of the plan.

An update on the delivery of this work since the publication of the Plan can be found in our recently published Women’s Health Plan: A Report on Progress .

The jointly funded £250,000 endometriosis research project with Wellbeing of women covers a period of 3 years, and began in the financial year 2022-23.

The findings from the research will be published in an open access journal after the research completion in 2025. The results will also be presented at national and international endometriosis conferences.

Question reference: S6O-02103

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with food producers, manufacturers and distributers regarding supply chains and how to tackle food insecurity and food poverty.

Question reference: S6W-16713

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the final and statutory version of its guidance on the guiding principles on the environment, under section 17 of UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.