Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-02116

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes it has delivered in the past year.

Question reference: S6O-02122

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Independent Age, which states that one in seven people in Scotland over the State Pension age live in poverty.

Question reference: S6O-02111

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve effective communication and collaboration between health and social care providers.

Question reference: S6W-16498

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Close the Gap since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Officials across the Scottish Government regularly engage with gender equality stakeholders as part of the policy development process. Officials work closely with Close the Gap as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to advancing gender equality and our work to support employers address gender pay gaps across Scotland. A representative also sits on the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning group which seeks to tackle the barriers faced by girls and young women in an education setting.

Question reference: S6W-16383

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to phase out the Covid-19 Recovery portfolio.

The Covid Recovery Strategy, published in October 2021, set out a joint vision between the Scottish Government and Local Government for Scotland’s recovery which focused on reducing systemic inequalities, tackling poverty and supporting people and communities most affected during the pandemic. The strategy set out three priority outcomes: to increase financial security for low income households; to enhance the wellbeing of children and young people; and to create good, green jobs and fair work. The Covid Recovery Strategy also set out an overarching ambition to reform public services, in line with the principles of the Christie Commission, so that they are person-centred and outcome-focused.

The Covid Recovery Strategy included over 70 actions which were funded through existing portfolios and the Scottish Government has made progress towards our Covid Recovery outcomes by, for example: increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week; doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million; providing local authorities with additional funding for Discretionary Housing Payments; investing at least £50 million in 2023/24 in a Whole Family Wellbeing Programme; and investing in the Green Jobs Fund and Green Jobs Workforce Academy.

The Covid Recovery Strategy Programme Board met for the first time in January 2022 and was co-chaired by the former Deputy First Minister and the COSLA President. The Board includes representatives from Local Government, business organisations and the third sector and has overseen the collaborative and joint delivery of the Covid Recovery Strategy. It has ensured progress towards the three Covid Recovery outcomes and overarching ambition of public service reform. The Board met most recently in January 2023 and minutes are available on the Scottish Government website .

The Covid Recovery Strategy programme is due to conclude in the summer of 2023, although the Scottish Government will build on this programme to continue to deliver for people across Scotland. The priorities of the Covid Recovery Strategy align with the 2023/24 Scottish Budget which focuses on tackling child poverty, transforming the economy to deliver a just transition to net zero, and achieving fiscally sustainable public services.

Question reference: S6W-16310

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to SEPA for the financial year 2023-24.

The duties of SEPA are set out in the Environment Act 1995.

There is regular engagement at all levels between Scottish Government and SEPA and this will continue for the remainder of the financial year 2023-24. This includes regular dialogue between Ministers and the SEPA Chair and CEO. SEPA’s Corporate Plan will be renewed in 2024 and Ministers will work with SEPA to agree the Key Performance Indicators and priority areas to be included in that Plan.

In line with guidance sent to all public bodies, SEPA receive relevant guidance documents from Scottish Government. For example, SEPA have received a copy of the Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24 and a copy of the Fair Work First Guidance.

Question reference: S6W-16047

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the date was of the planned March meeting of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group, and whether it took place.

Question reference: S6W-16502

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Rape Crisis Scotland since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Officials across the Scottish Government regularly engage with violence against women and girls stakeholders as part of the policy development process. Officials work closely with Rape Crisis Scotland as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to our Equally Safe Strategy, Scotland’s strategy to eradicate and prevent violence against women and girls. A representative from Rape Crisis Scotland sits on Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board (ES JSB) and further detail on this can be found on the Scottish Government’s website: Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) )

Question reference: S6W-16312

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to Historic Environment Scotland for the financial year 2023-24.

The Scottish Government’s grant in aid to Historic Environment Scotland in 2023-24 is to support the priorities agreed by Ministers in its corporate plan, Heritage for All, and enables HES to invest in fair staff pay, in running and maintaining its properties, in giving grants to the heritage sector and in fulfilling its advisory and regulatory functions.

The public sector reform agenda announced as part of the 2023-24 budget is to ensure public services remain sustainable and are best placed to deliver improved outcomes. Guidance has been issued to Historic Environment Scotland and other public bodies around key themes including where savings, improved performance and improved service delivery can be achieved by working together.

Updated Fair Work First guidance was published on 24 March, that supports public sector grant managers and recipients to pay at minimum the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, within the limits on devolved competence, from 1 July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-15920

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed Legal Services Regulation Reform Bill, what progress it has made towards (a) establishing a panel to review the future of the legal profession and (b) engaging with stakeholders representing the (i) consumer and (ii) legal perspective, as committed to in its response to the findings of the consultation analysis report on legal services regulation reform.

A working group to consider the future of the of the legal profession in Scotland has been convened and will be jointly chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, the Law Society of Scotland, and the Faculty of Advocates. The purpose of the group is to examine the evidence and propose improvements to address the challenges of recruitment and retention within the legal profession and to provide support for the planning, collaboration, and improvement of legal services in Scotland.

The first meeting of the short life working group will be held on 25 April 2023, and invitations have already been issued to members of the Group. Future meetings of the Group have been confirmed for 30 August 2023 and 5 December 2023.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on the 20 April 2023. This was developed in response to a consultation that was developed in collaboration with consumers and the legal profession and responses to that public consultation.

As the Bill progresses through parliament, we will continue to engage with key stakeholders from the consumer and legal side, to collaboratively consider reform of the regulation of legal services, to provide for a modern regulatory framework for Scotland that will best promote competition, innovation and the public and consumer interest in an efficient and independent legal sector.

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